The Game Of Love
by Kalyra-Anne
Summary: Jenny, a vampire huntress finds hand-written notes in her own handwriting, crazy as it is, she try's hypnosis to figure out what it all means when she finds something else that she never anticipated. But it seems they can never be together, JIBBS! AU, R
1. Bizarre Beginnings

Okay, so I know I said that I'd be writing Night World fics and no NCIS fics for a while but that just isn't really happening, so what I've decided is to try something new, a cross-over between them both however it will be more just references to the Night World Series rather than a proper cross-over which is another reason why this fic will be under the NCIS category instead of the cross-over section. It is not necessary to have read Night World to understand this fic, but here are a few pointers if you haven't read it yet. Hunter Redfern is the most powerful vampire that ever existed apart from Maya – who was the first vampire and Hunter is her son. Old souls, live many different lives and when they die they get reborn. I know that I have been absolutely terrible with updates but it is hard when you have a full time job and are studying. I also wanted to make this a belated birthday gift to myself and also to my readers (9th of December), so I hope that you like it. I will manage to get around to updating one day. Don't forget to review! Oh and this is very AU but give it a chance and let me know whether you like it or not! And Jenny in my opinion is OOC for the first chapter but you might not think so much... I don't know.

* * *

Jenny opened her eyes, the summer sunshine had filtered in her bedroom through the dark curtains that she had up. She grimaced when she saw the red neon numbers on her bedside table alarm clock. She rubbed her face with her hands gently, she was tired, last night's kill had drained her, he was more powerful than she initially thought. She stretched herself out as if she was trying to touch the end of her bed, and with her finger tips, she was touching the wall behind her bed frame. She'd taken a good blow to her stomach but she was wearing a bullet proof vest so it has taken majority of the impact but she good feel a slight soreness to it. She was prepared though, she always was, they didn't call her a vampire huntress for nothing. She generally worked alone, she hated it more than anything when someone was watching over her shoulder, it always made her uneasy and it pissed her off, it seemed to give her a feeling of paranoia and Jenny hated paranoid people with a passion. This would have to be the first time that she hadn't woken up from a nightmare that had her waking up in cold sweat and not to mention screaming her head off.

She rolled over to the other side of her bed and stretched, she'd have to get up, she was already late, she should get to work and locate her next vampire victim, her specialty was torturing vampires that wanted to kill more than anything, most of them were either Hunter Redfern's boys or they were rogue vampires. Either way, she hated them all with a passion and there was nothing that could happen that would ever change that, or so she thought, she was unaware that the next few weeks would change her life forever. Deciding that she should get up, she gathered the covers and threw them to the end of her bed, she walked into the inter-connecting bathroom.

She never ate breakfast unless it was coffee and she occasionally had the odd muffin to go with it. She went to brush her teeth, she had a thing about brushing her teeth, three times a day and there were no exceptions. She picked up the tube of toothpaste and her tooth brush but this was what startled her the most. There was a note bound to the bristle brush part of her toothbrush, it was bound with a single rubber band. She looked at it oddly, why the hell would there be a note on her toothbrush?! Jenny unbound the note, it was rolled around the bristle brush, she unravelled it and read it to herself. 'Dead before seventeen, beware.' Her seventeenth birthday was next month and there was more than a short list of people who wanted her dead. But what scared the living hell out of her the most was that the note was in her own hand writing.

She glanced at herself in the mirror, her fiery red hair was in waves, her birthmark was on the right side of her nose, not on her nose exactly but close to, it slanted diagonally across her right cheekbone. It was a pale pinkish colour, it looked as if someone has gently ran blush along it. Jenny had had it removed by laser, twice and both times, it came back. She opened up her mirror to get her hairbrush when three pieces of scrap papers fell out and onto the bench area. She picked them up and read them to herself, the first one read 'The cycle can be broken.', the next one read 'He's coming.' And finally the last one read 'Remember the huntress within, DO NOT throw this note away. May – you know what happens then.' The last note troubled her the most, what could all of this mean? Then Jenny was sure of it, she was slowly and surely going insane. But that conclusion however, did not explain the notes in her own handwriting.

She had to call in the expert and in this situation, this meant no other than her best friend, Kara Jayne. Deciding to at least brush her teeth and get dressed before going out in public, she got herself organised. After brushing her teeth, running a brush through her hair and she threw on a pair of black skinny jeans and black singlet with a red belt around her mid-riff with a pair of red heels, she hid her usual choice of everyday weapons, three knives, one silver, one wood and the other was a dagger. She looked in the mirror, making sure that she looked presentable and then she grabbed her hand-bag, keys and phone before locking up her apartment and getting in her car to go and see Kara.

* * *

It wasn't a long drive there, ten minutes at the most but traffic was pretty quiet, quieter than the usual. Jenny parked her car on the drive-way of Kara's house before getting out of her car and locking it up and going into the house. Jenny placed her things on the door way table before going into the living room. Kara was sitting there watching the latest season of Heroes, Jenny barely watched any television, she'd rather do more productive thing with her time. "Hey Jenny." Greeted Kara.

"Hey Kara, how are you?" Jenny greeted back.

"Oh you know, the usual." Replied Kara and Jenny sat down next to Kara on the main living room couch, it was a soft synthetic leather, the texture of it felt beautiful when Jenny sat down on it.

"That bad huh?" asked Jenny,

"Worse," stated Kara which in turn made Jenny smile,

"So what's your ish? You've never been good at small talk." Said Kara, she always got straight down to the issue at hand. Jenny decided to skip the feelings of being followed or people wanting to kill her since it was an everyday occurrence, but she decided to be more like her best friend and get straight down to the point. "I've been having dreams..." she started off.

"Most people do." Said Kara which made Jenny smile in embarrassment.

"Dreams about the apocalypse, the end of the world, dying, killing, the fight between good and evil." Jenny explained, when Kara didn't say anything, Jenny continued "I've been finding these notes too."

"Notes?" Kara asked for verification and Jenny slowly nodded her head as if she was still coming to terms with it herself and in some ways, she was. Jenny suddenly had an idea of brilliance, she pulled out four scraps of paper and handed them to her friend. Kara took them and read them, once she had finished, she looked up at Jenny as if this was a big joke. "These are in your handwriting," she said with a smile, Jenny had nearly gotten her, Kara nearly fell for it until she realised that Jenny was just messing around or so she thought, she was waiting for the other shoe to drop but it didn't seem to come. "I didn't write them," Jenny stated firmly.

"But they're in your handwriting," Kara argued,

"I admit that they are in my handwriting but I didn't write them." Said Jenny dryly, how could Kara not believe her?!

"Oh..." said Kara with realisation, "You don't remember writing them." She concluded.

"I don't remember because I didn't write them, they're all... Well... Ridiculous and don't make any sense at all." Argued Jenny. Kara looked again at the notes, 'Dead before seventeen,' and 'May – You know what happens then.' Troubled Kara the most, Jenny was seventeen next month and coincidently, it also just so happened that next month was May. Then suddenly the doorbell rang, "Back in a sec." Said Kara as she got up and ran to the other side of the house. It was in that moment when Jenny was alone by herself in the living room, that the window across the room, exploded.

* * *

Jenny was on her feet in an instant, her awareness was on a high, her understanding of the entire situation however remained fragmented. She simply couldn't take the entire situation in at once, it was too bizarre to be normal, it had to all be supernatural. At first, the first thing she thought of was a vampire before she realised that this was simply not their style, her next thought was of a bomb but if it was bomb, it would of had the whole house burnt and shattered in pieces, not just a window.

The explosion was that loud that it led her to believe it was a bomb or a vampire because of their incredible strength. Then Jenny realised that something had come in the window, that it had come flying through the glass, and whatever the heck it was, was now in the room with her now, crouching among the shards of broken up glass from the window pane. Even then, she still couldn't identify in her mind what the hell this thing was, she was on alert though.

It was too incongruous; her mind refused to recognise the shape immediately. Something that was fairly big, something that was very dark, it had a body like a dog's but set higher, with longer legs and of course to add to it, yellow eyes. It was a wolf, a werewolf was in the room with her. It was a gorgeous creature, comparing to vampires that she had to always deal with on an everyday basis anyway. She didn't mind werewolves though, in fact she quite liked them. This wolf was muscular and rangy, it had dark fur all over except for the white streak across its throat, it was in an odd sort of shape, it looked more like a tattoo of some kind but it wasn't exactly like she had a clear view of it.

This wolf was looking at her fixedly, with an almost human expression. She knew that wolves didn't attack people bit that was your average and ordinary wolves, not were-wolves. And all the time her conscious mind was thinking this, something deeper within her was making her move. It made her back up slowly, never taking her eyes off of the great creature, that was until of course she felt herself back up into the great bookcase that Kara's mother loved. _There's something you need to get, _a voice in her mind was whispering to her, it wasn't exactly another person per say but it wasn't her own mental voice either. It was a voice like a dark cold wind; it made her shiver involuntary, she was a vampire huntress and she was scared of a little werewolf. Okay so it wasn't that little. _Something you saw on the shelf earlier, _it said to her. In an impossibly graceful motion , from eight feet away, the wolf jumped.

There was no time to be scared even though Jenny rarely ever got scared and when she did, she always was lucky enough to suppress her emotions, something that her father taught her before he was murdered by a famous vampire by the name of La Grenouille. Jenny saw a bushy black arc coming towards her and then she slammed into the bookcase. For a while after that, everything was simply chaos. Books and knick-knacks that belonged to Kara and her mom went flying across the room in all directions as well as falling down around her. She was trying to get her balance, she hadn't exactly worn the most appropriate choice in footwear. She was trying to push the heaviness of a black furry body away from her. The wolf was falling back, than jumping again at her as she twisted sideways to get away. And the strangest thing was that she actually was getting away or at least evading the worst of the wolf's lunges, which all seemed to be aimed at knocking her to the floor. Her body was moving purely on instinct, she was in battle mode but she had never fought a werewolf before, she had no clue what-so-ever on how to get herself out of this situation.

She didn't feel sure of herself and so instinctive for long, her confusion had taken over. And wolf seemed to know it somehow. Its eyes glowed eerily giving Jenny a not so good feeling in the bottom of her stomach. They were such strange eyes, more intense and more savage than even a vampires, she knew in that instant that werewolves were more dangerous than she would of suspected. She saw it draw its legs beneath it. _Move – now, _the mysterious new part of her mind told her as it snapped. Jenny moved. The wolf hit the bookcase with an incredible force and Jenny was thankful that she listened to the voice. And then the bookcase itself was falling.

Jenny flung herself sideways and out of harm's way, just in time to avoid being crushed to death. The bookcase fell with an unholy noise directly in front of the door. _Trapped, _the dark cool voice in Jenny's mind noted analytically. _No exit anymore, except the window. _"Jenny? Jenny?" It was Kara's voice just outside the room.

The door flew open, a whole of four inches, It was jammed against the fallen over bookcase. "God! What on Earth is going on in there? Jenny? Jenny!" She sounded panicked now, banging uselessly against the blockage. _Don't think about her, _the new part of Jenny's mind said sharply, but Jenny couldn't help it. Kara sounded so desperate, a trait that Kara didn't have. Jenny opened her mouth to shout back at her, her concentration broken.

A perfect opportunity that would and could not be missed. The wolf lunged. This time, Jenny didn't move fast enough. A terrible weight smashed into her and she was falling, flying. She landed hard, her head colliding with the floorboards. It hurt, there was no doubt about it but Jenny couldn't think about the pain. Even as she felt it, everything was greying out. Her vision went sparkling, her mind soared away from the pain of which she was again thankful. A strange thought flickered through her head though. I'm dead now, it's over again. Oh, Isis, Goddess of Life, guide me to the other world...

* * *

"Jenny! Jenny! What's going on in there?" Kara's voice came to her in a frantic motion yet it came to her quite dimly all the same.

Jenny's vision cleared and the bizarre thoughts that seemed to be racing through her head has ceased. She wasn't soaring in a sparkling emptiness and she apparently wasn't dead. She was lying on the floor with a book's sharp corner in the small of her back and a wolf was on her chest. Even in the midst of her terror, she felt a strange appalled fascination. She'd never in her life seen a wild animal this close before. She could see the white-tipped guard hairs standing erect on its face and neck; she could see the saliva that was glistening on the wolf's red lolling tongue, it was not an appealing sight. She could smell its breath – humid and hot, vaguely like a dog's but much wilder.

And then there was also the fact that she couldn't move. The wolf was as long as she was tall and it weighed a lot more than what she did. Pinned beneath it, she felt utterly helpless, if only she was better prepared, wolves weren't her profession, if it was a herd of vampire however, they would of all been dead with her mark embedded on their forehead. All she could do was lay there, there was nothing that she could do, she was only human after all. Her eyes closed involuntary as she felt the cold wetness of the wolf's nose that brushed up against her cheek. It was far from an affectionate gesture. The wolf was nudging the strands of hair that had fallen over her face during the quick events that had happened.

It was using its muzzle like a hand to push her hair to the side. Jenny wanted it to stop but she knew deep down that she was the only one to stop this, she just didn't know how. Now the cold nose was moving across her cheekbone and to her nose. Its sniffing was loud in Jenny's ear. The wolf seemed to be smelling her, tasting her, and looking at her all at once. No. Not looking at me. Looking at my birthmark. It was another one of those ridiculous and impossible thoughts and it snapped into a place like the last piece of a puzzle that was deep inside of her. Irrational as it was, Jenny was absolutely certain that it was true.

And it set off that cool wind voice in her mind again. _Reach out, _the voice whispered, quiet and businesslike. _Feel around you. The weapon has to be there somewhere. You saw it on the bookcase. Find it!_ The wolf stopped on its explorations, seeming satisfied for whatever reasons. It lifted its head...... And laughed. Really laughed. It was one of the most eeriest and frightening sounds that Jenny had ever seen and heard.

The big mouth opened, panting, showing teeth, and the yellow eyes blazed with hot bestial triumph. Hurry, hurry! Jenny's eyes were helplessly fixated on the sharp white teeth ten inches away from her face, but her hand was creeping out, feeling along the smooth pine floorboards. Her fingers glided along books, over the feathery texture of a fern and then over something that was square, cold and faced with glass. The wolf didn't seem to notice anything different.

Its lips were pulling back farther and farther. Not laughing anymore. Jenny could see its short front teeth and its long curving canines. She could see its forehead wrinkling and she could feel its body vibrate in a low and vicious growl. The sound of absolute savagery. The cool wind voice had completely taken over Jenny's mind now, it was telling her in detail what would happen next if she was just going to stand idly by and continue acting the way she was.

The wolf would sink its teeth into her throat and then shake her, tearing skin and ripping through her muscles and ripping them off, limb by limb. Her blood would spray like a fountain. It would fill her severed windpipe, her lungs and her mouth. She would die gasping, choking, maybe even drowning before she bled out. Except.... She had silver in her hand. A silver picture frame. _Kill it, _the cool voice whispered. _You've got the right weapon. Hit it dead in the eye with a corner. Drive silver into its brain. _Jenny's ordinary mind didn't even try to figure out how a picture frame could be the perfect weapon for killing a werewolf. But faint and faraway, there came a voice. A different voice, it was still in her head and if she didn't know better, she would of sworn that she had just driven herself to insanity but this had to be real, the pain hurt too much for it to be a dream. Like the cool wind voice, it wasn't hers, but it wasn't someone's that she knew either. It was a crystal clear voice that seemed to sparkle in jewelled colours as it spoke. _You are not an animal killer Jenny, you are a vampire huntress, they are two different things. You petition against animal cruelty, you wouldn't harm an animal. _I don't kill or harm any animals, vampires were different, Jenny thought slowly, in agreement with the voice.

_Then you're going to die, _the cool voice reminded her brutally, it cut through the crystal voice, a hundred decibels louder. _Because this animal won't stop until either its dead or you are. There's no other way to deal with these creatures. _Then it happened.

The wolf's mouth opened. In a lightning-fast move, it darted for her throat. Jenny didn't think, she didn't have to. She brought the picture frame up and slammed it hard into the side of its head. Not into the eye as she was instructed, but into its ear. She felt the impact of it, hard metal against sensitive flesh, it would of hurt more than her hitting her head against the floorboards and that hurt. The wolf gave a yelping squeal as it staggered sideways, shaking its head and hitting its face with a forepaw.

Its weight was off her and for an instant, and an instant was all she needed. Her body moved without her conscious direction, sliding from under the wolf, twisting and jumping to her feet. She kept her strong grasp on the picture frame, she had a gut feeling that she'd be needing it again, soon. _Now. Look around! The bookcase – no, you can't move it. The window! Go for the window. _But the wolf had stopped shaking its head. Even as Jenny started across the room, it turned and saw her. In one flowing, bushy leap it pit itself between her and the window.

Then it stood staring at her, every hair on its body was bristling. Its teeth were bared and its ears were upright, and its eyes glared with pure hatred and menace. She'd pissed off the wolf a little too much. It's going to spring, Jenny realised. Before she could form a single thought that didn't have panic in it. The wolf sprang.

But it never reached her, something else came soaring through the window and knocked it off course. This time, Jenny's eyes and brain identified the creature all at once. Another wolf! My God, what is going on?! The new animal however was a grey-brown, smaller than the black wolf and not as striking. Its legs looked as if they were amazingly delicate, twined with veins and sinews like a racehorse's. A female, something faraway in Jenny's mind said with a dreamlike certainty. Both wolves had recovered their balance now and they were on their feet, bristling.

The room smelled like a zoo. And now I'm really going to die, Jenny thought to herself, one wolf was hard enough as it was but now another one? She was a goner. She was still clutching the picture frame in her hand, but she knew that there was no chance at all of fighting both wolves at once, they'd both end up tearing her to shreds. Her heart was pounding and it actually shook her body, it was pounding that hard, not to mention the ringing that was in her ears. The female wolf was staring at her with eyes that were more amber than yellow, less creepy and eerie.

Jenny stared back, she was mesmerized, waiting for it to make its move. The wolf held the gaze for another moment, as if it was studying Jenny's face. The right side in particular. Her nose and also partially her cheek. Then she turned her back to Jenny and faced the black wolf, it then snarled. Protecting me, Jenny thought to herself, she was truly stunned. It was unbelievable – but she was past the point of disbelief at this point. She had stepped out of her ordinary life and into a tale that was full of almost-human wolves. She knew in that moment that she preferred vampires even though she hated them, they were better than werewolves. The entire world had gone crazy and all she could do was try to deal with each moment as it came. She rarely ever sat on the sidelines but today was an exception, she supposed. _They're going to fight, _the cool voice in Jenny's mind started again. _As soon as they're into it, run for the window as fast as you can. _

At that moment, everything had erupted into bedlam. The grey wolf had launched itself at the black wolf. The room echoed with the sound of snarling and of teeth clicking together. As both wolves snapped again and again, Jenny couldn't make out what was happening. It was a blurred chaos. The wolves did a series of leaps, darting and ducking all the same, but it was far different from anything she had ever witnessed, terrifying. It was like the worst fight imaginable between animals, like the feeding frenzy of sharks or piranha's, both animals seemed to have just gone berserk. Suddenly there was a yelp of pain, blood welled up on the females grey flank. She's too small, Jenny thought. Too light. She doesn't have a chance.

_Help her, _the crystal voice whispered. It was an insane suggestion but what else could she do? Jenny couldn't even imagine herself going in between them, a snarling whirlwind. But somehow she found herself moving anyway. Placing herself behind the grey wolf. It didn't matter that she didn't believe that she was doing it, or that she had no idea how to team up with a wolf in fighting another wolf. She was there and she was holding the silver frame high. The black wolf pulled away from the fight to stare at her. And there they stood, all three of them panting.

Jenny with fear and the wolves with exertion. They were frozen like a tableau in the middle of a wrecked and destroyed living room, all looking at each other tensely. The black wolf on one side, his eyes shining with single-minded menace. The grey wolf on the other, blood manning her coat. Bits of fur floating away from her. And Jenny right behind her, holding up a silver picture frame in a slightly shaken hand but steady. Jenny's ears were filled with the deep reverberating sound of growling.

And then deafening report that cut through the room like a knife. A gunshot. The black wolf and staggered. Jenny's senses were in overdrive and she was also so focused on what was going on in the room that it was a shock to realised there was anything going on outside it. She was however, dimly aware that Kara's yells had stopped some time ago, but of course she hadn't even given a moment's thought to think of what that meant. Now, with adrenaline racing through her veins, she heard Kara's voice.

"Jenny! Get out of the way!" The shout was tense, much like the atmosphere was in the room before Kara interrupted it. The shout was also edged with other emotions, fear, anger and determination. It came from the opposite side of the room, from the darkness outside of the window. Jenny hadn't even realised the clouds that had rolled in. Kara was there at the broken window with a gun, she had a license for it at least. She was aiming for the general direction of the wolves and if she fired again, she might hit either one of them. Her face was pale and she looked very shaken up, her hand was shaking. "Get into a corner!" The gun bobbed nervously. Then Jenny heard herself say, "Don't shoot!" then she said after it "Don't hit the grey one." Kara's aim wouldn't ever let her down, she classified shooting as her hobby. Another shot went off and for an instant, Jenny couldn't see where the bullet had gone and she wondered wildly if she had been shot but she had serious doubts that Kara would ever shoot her.

But then she saw the black wolf was lurching backwards and blood dripped from its neck. _Steel won't kill it, _the wind voice hissed at her. _You're only making it more angry... _But the black wolf was swinging its head to look with blazing eyes from Jenny with the picture frame to Kara with her gun and then to the grey wolf with her teeth. The grey wolf snarled and just then, Jenny had never seen an animal look closer to being smug. "One more shot..." Kara breathed. "While it's cornered..." Ears flat, the black wolf turned toward the only other window in the room. It launched into a vaulting leap straight toward the unbroken glass. There was a shattering crash as it went through. Glass fragments went flying everywhere and it made a sort of tinkling sound. Jenny stared dizzily at the curtains swirling first outside, then inside the room, then her head snapped around to look at the grey wolf. Amber eyes met hers directly, it was such a human stare... and definitely the look of an equal.

Almost the look of a friend. Then the grey wolf twisted and loped for the newly broken window. Two steps and a leap – she was through. From somewhere outside there came a long drawn-out howl of anger and defiance. It was fading, as if the wolf as moving away and then there was silence. Jenny shut her eyes, her knees were literally feeling as if they were about to buckle. But she made herself move to the window, glass grating her heels as she stared onto the quiet street. She let out a deep breath and sagged against the window. The silver picture frame fell to the floor. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Kara was climbing through the other window. She tripped on a waste basket through the other side of the room, the she was beside her best friend. Kara grabbed for Jenny shoulders, trying to look her over.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just, wow." She was numb, was what she was. She felt dazed and fragmented like the glass everywhere that covered the entire room. Kara blinked at her,

"Um... You have some particular fondness about grey wolves that I should now about or something?"

Jenny shook her head, she didn't trust her own voice just yet and how on Earth would she explain everything anyway? They stared at each other for the moment, and then, simultaneously, they both sank to the floor, squatting among the shard of glass, breathing hard. Kara's long dark brown hair was a tangled mess, her eyes were large and they looked a little full of regret but Kara said nothing. Kara twisted her neck to stare at the wreckage. The overturned bookcase, the scattered books, the knick-knacks that were also as scattered as the books, the two broken windows, the glass fragments, the bullet hole, the flecks of blood, and the tufts of wolf hair that still drifted across the floorboards. Jenny then said faintly as she somehow managed to remember in the midst of everything that had happened, "So who was at the door?" Kara blinked twice before answering,

"Nobody. Nobody was at the door." Kara added almost dreamily. "I wonder if wolves can ring doorbells?"

"What?" Kara turned and looked straight at her.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you may not be so crazy and paranoid after all? I mean, look at your profession, what if something is really coming and is out to get you?" blurted out Kara. Jenny laughed,

"Oh very funny." she whispered.

"Seriously Jen! I mean – " Kara gestured around the room, she half laughed. Kara looked punch-drunk. "I mean, you said something bad was going to happen and something did." Kara looked at her with wondering speculation. "You really did know, didn't you?" Jenny glared at her best friend, Kara was the one who was meant to be guiding her away from the path of insanity and craziness, Kara was meant to help her find balance and a logical solution.

"Are you crazy? Who are you and what have you done with Kara-Jayne?" Kara said nothing, Jenny said nothing. Jenny was trying to forget almost too many things at once: the new part of her mind that whispered strategies to her, the wolves with human eyes, the silver picture frame. She had no idea of what all of these thing added up to, it was more than strange and she wasn't sure if she even wanted to know. She just wanted to get back to her own routine, hunting down vampires and keeping it simple. Kara cleared her throat, she was still looking out of the window. Her voice was uncertain, "Jenny, there's got to be an explanation for all of this, rational or not. But, if the notes are true, then we have to figure out what type locked away secret is in your head and it has to be before something worse happens."

* * *

Love it? Hate it? I know it's quite confusing to begin with. But let me know your thoughts, the next chapter will be featuring Gibbs and Tony. I hope you liked this chapter and I'll get the next chapter up soon.


	2. Absurd Answers

Thank-you for the reviews – they always inspire me to type quicker and somehow it always seems to work. I'm glad that I got positive feedback so here is the next chapter :)

* * *

Jenny eventually left Kara's house, after the police were called. Kara's mom was going to go rank when she got home or so the girls thought. She was just glad that neither of them were hurt. It had been documented and Jenny was free to go. Jenny drove straight for her apartment, she wanted to have a quick sleep, she'd go out tonight and get some work done. Today had just been one of those days that she just wanted to forget about, even though, that was very unlikely to happen. She decided to get more familiar with wolves and supernatural stuff that could be involved, it could come in handy one time. Jenny finally reached her apartment, she opened her front door and locked it behind her. She flopped down straight away on her living room couch and shut her eyes. It didn't take very long at all for her to find herself in a peaceful slumber. Unfortunately for Jenny, it didn't last that long.

* * *

The sleek black sedan raced throughout the night like a dolphin underwater, carrying Leroy Jethro Gibbs away from the airport. It was taking him to his house even though it was more like a mansion that was built on the outskirts of Washington DC. He shut his eyes as he leaned back onto the leather seats of his favourite car, still, he was wishing that he was somewhere else. "How was Fiji, boss?" asked Tony, he was driving, something that Gibbs rarely ever let happen, especially when he was the passenger. But in this time, he let him because he was drained, physically and emotionally, he hadn't had any sleep and he was quite tired. Gibbs opened his eyes, DiNozzo wasn't doing that bad but he could of slammed his foot on the accerlator, they were making dreadful timing. DiNozzo had a discreet expression all over his face.

"Wet, DiNozzo." Gibbs said softly, he stared out of the window. "Fiji was very... wet."

"But you didn't find what you were looking for."

"No, I didn't find what I was looking for... again."

"Sorry, boss."

"Don't apologize, sign of weakness."

"Won't happen again, boss." Gibbs tried to look past his own reflection in the window. It was disturbing, seeing that young man with the dark brown hair and the old, old crystal blue eyes looking back at him. He had such a pensive expression... so lost and so sad. Like somebody who was always looking for something that he can't find, Gibbs thought. He turned away from the window in determination. "Everything's been going alright since I've been gone, DiNozzo?" he said it as if it were more of a statement than an actual question. But nevertheless, work, work always helped. It kept you busy, it made you keep your mind off things, it kept you away from yourself basically. Maybe that was why Gibbs seemed to enjoy it so much. "It's been good boss, Hunter wants to see you and Raven came to the house last week."

"Raven, as in my younger sister? And Hunter as in my older brother?"

"Yes and yes again, Raven was more sincere I guess you could put it and Hunter, who knows what he wants." Gibbs' finger hovered over a button on the phone, he was considering whom to call. Whose need might be more urgent but before he had any time to think, his phone started buzzing. Gibbs pressed the green answer button and held the phone up to his ear. "Gibbs," he greeted the person on the other end with his usual greeting. "Boss? It's me, Ziva. I'm a little torn up." She gave a gasping chuckle. "But you should see the other wolf." Gibbs reached for his simple hard cover diary and a gold Mont Blanc pen.

"That's not funny Ziva, you shouldn't be fighting."

"I know Gibbs, but –"

"Tell me where you are and I'll have somebody to pick you up and I'll send Ducky to examine you." Gibbs made a practice mark with his pen. No ink came out. He stared at the nib of the pen in mild disbelief. "You buy an eight-hundred-fricking-dollar pen and then it doesn't write." He murmured to no-one in particular.

"Gibbs, you're not listening to me. You don't understand. I've found her!" Gibbs stopped trying to make the pen write. He stared at it, his own fingers holding the chunky textured gold barrel, knowing that this sight would be impressed on his memory as if burned with a torch. "Did you hear me Gibbs? I've found her." When his voice eventually did come out at last, it didn't sound like it, it was strangely distant.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Yes, Gibbs, I'm more than sure, She's got the mark and everything. Her name is Jenny, short for Jennifer. Jennifer Shepard. Gibbs reached into the front seat and grabbed Tony on the shoulder, his grip was vice-like.

He said very quietly in his ear, "Do you have a pencil?"

"A pencil?"

"Something that writes DiNozzo. An instrument to make marks on paper. Do you have one? Quick, because if I lose this connection, you're fired."

"I've got a pen, boss." One-handed, Tony fished into his pocket and produced a blue biro.

"You're salary just doubled." Gibbs took the pen and sat back, "Where are you Ziva?"

"I'm near a town called Medicine Rock, I don't know why it's called that, there's no medicine on the rock, but there is something else that you should know, Gibbs." Her voice sounded less steady than before. "The other wolf that fought me – he saw her too and he got away." Gibbs felt his breath catch.

"I see."

"I tried to stop him. But he got away and I think that he's most likely on his way telling them."

"You did what you could, Ziva. And I'll be there myself, soon. After I take care of everything first of course." Gibbs then looked at DiNozzo. "We've got some stops to make. First, the Harman store."

"The witch place?"

"Exactly, and you can triple your salary if you get there fast."

* * *

Jenny awoke with a start, there was a wretched loud noise that kept going, it wasn't stopping. It took Jenny a few moments to realise that it was someone screaming, it then took her another moment to realise that it was her own screaming. She clamped her mouth shut and composed her breathing. This wasn't her dream, although even in reality, it felt like it a dream, the past couple of hours proved that to her. Her fist were clenched for some unknown reason so she unclenched them and when she did, a crumpled piece of scrap paper fell to the ground. Jenny sat up and then saw the note. She bent down and picked up the paper. She unravelled it, to see what this one had to say. She was hoping and wishing that it wasn't anything too crazy, but that it appeared that that wish was by far asking too much. 'They've seen you. They're going to tell him. This your last chance to get away.' She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. She got up and left her apartment again after grabbing an apple to quickly eat. She got on her motorcycle and went straight to the one place where she knew that she get some answers. It was a longer drive than to Kara's however since she was on her motorcycle and not in her car, it made the trip shorter. She parked her transportation and jogged to the front porch, which in heels was not always easy but Jenny had had much practice so it felt easy to her. She knocked on the door and waited a few seconds, the door flung open all of a sudden and there was a squeal. "Jenny!" the girl said as she gave Jenny a bone crashing hug.

"Hey Abs." Said Jenny with a small smile, how could you not smile? After all it was Abby. Abby let go of the hug.

"So what brings you to this part of town?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

"Sure, come in." Jenny bypassed Abby and went into the hallway. Abby closed her front door and followed Jenny as they went upstairs and into Abby's office. Once they got comfortable on the chairs, Abby asked,

"So what can I help you with?" Jenny pulled all of the notes out of her pocket and placed them in front of Abby and onto the coffee table that was set in between the two chairs. Abby picked them up and read them all.

"Why did you write these?" Abby asked, curious

"I didn't." Jenny answered

"They're in your handwriting, Jenny."

"I know that but I didn't write them, it's just like my dreams, I have these dreams about how the world is going to end and I started hearing these voices in my head. Then these wolves jumped through Kara's window and attacked me. I'm going insane but the wolves were real, Kara shot one of them and then there's all the damage done to the house as well." Explained Jenny, she was starting to believe that she'd gone fully crazy.

"So... Things that are really strange are happening and you want to understand them. You'd probably prefer a more rational explanation though, to make it more easier to understand or you'll just lose your focus and then you'll..." Abby started rambling.

"Abs!" said Jenny to cut Abby off from rambling into the next century. "The notes are starting to scare me. Everything that's been happening is making me on edge, I don't understand any of it and I don't see how I'm supposed to fix it all if I don't understand. That last note I found crumpled in my hand"

"Look Jenny, whatever's happening, whoever's writing these notes. I think that it could be your subconscious mind and it's trying to tell you something. Your dreams are evident of that, but it's not telling you enough information. There's something that I was going to suggest, something I believe that could help get you the information that your dreams and the notes are leaving out. We can try it if you'd like, it's something that will get to your subconscious directly so we can ask it what is going on."

"Hypnosis?" Abby nodded.

"I'm not exactly the biggest fan of it but if it helps, then I don't see why we shouldn't use it."

"I guess that it's worth the try, right?"

"That's the spirit!" said Abby whom was full with excitement.

Jenny wasn't happy. Hypnosis still seemed to mean giving up control. If not to Abby, then her own subconscious. But what else was she supposed to do? Jenny listened to the quiet helplessness in her mind for a moment. Not a peep from the cool wind voice or the crystal voice – which was a good thing as far as she was concerned. Still, it pointed out the fact that she had no other choice, no other alternative. She looked at Abby briefly. "Ok. Let's do it."

"Great." Abby stood, then reached for a book on the corner of her desk. "Always assuming I remember how... Okay, why don't you just go and lie down on the couch? Make yourself really comfortable." Jenny hesitated and then shrugged. If I'm going to do it, I may as well do it right. She lay down and stared at the ceiling. In spite of how miserable she felt, she had an almost irresistible impulse to giggle. "Okay, I want you to get as comfortable as you can and shut your eyes." Abby said. She was perched up on her desk with on hip on the edge and she had her legs swinging at the same time. She had the book in hand, her voice was very quiet and professional but most of all, her voice sounded quite soothing. Jenny shut her eyes. "Now I want you to imagine yourself floating. Just floating and feeling very relaxed. There's nothing that you need to think about and there's nowhere you need to go. And you're seeing yourself enveloped by a beautiful violet light. It's bathing your entire body and it's making you more and more relaxed..."

The couch was surprisingly comfortable. Its curves seemed to fit under her, supporting her without being too intrusive. It was easy to imagine herself being so relaxed, that she was floating and the violet light that was surrounding her. "And now you feel yourself floating down deeper and deeper into a state of pure relaxation... and you're surrounded by a deep blue light. The blue light is all around you, shining through you, and it's making you more comfortable, more relaxed..." The soft soothing voice went on, and at its direction Jenny imagined waves of coloured light bathing her body. Deep blue, emerald green, golden yellow, glowing orange. Jenny saw it all. It was all so amazing and effortless; her mind just showed her the pictures. And as the colours came and went she felt herself becoming more and more relaxed, warm and almost weightless. She couldn't feel the couch that was underneath her any longer. She was floating on light.

"And now you're seeing a ruby red light, very deep, very relaxing. You're so relaxed; you're calm and very comfortable and everything feels safe. Nothing will upset you; you can answer all my questions without ever feeling distressed. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Jenny said. She was aware of saying it, but it wasn't exactly as if she had said it. She wasn't planning on saying it. Something within her seemed to be answering Abby using her voice. But it wasn't frightening at all, in fact it was quite the opposite. She was still relaxed, still floating in the ruby light. "All right. I'm now speaking with Jenny's subconscious. You will be able to remember things that jenny's waking mind isn't aware of, even things that have been repressed. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Again, the voice seemed to come before Jenny even decided to speak.

"Good. Now I've got this note in my hand, the one that you found in your hand today. Do you remember this note?"

"Yes." Of course.

"Ok, that's good. And now I want you to go back in your mind and back to the time that this note was written." This time Jenny was aware of a need to speak.

"But how can I do that? I don't know when it was written. I didn't write – "

"Just – just – just let go, Jenny," Abby said, overriding her. Abby's voice was soothing again, she added, "Feel relaxed, feel yourself becoming very relaxed, and let your conscious mind go. Just tell yourself to go back to the time this note was written. Don't worry about how. See the ruby light and think 'I will go back'. Are you doing that?"

"Yes," Jenny said. Go back, she told herself gamely. Just relax and go back, ok?

"And now, a picture is beginning to form in your mind. You are seeing something. What are you seeing?" Jenny felt something inside of her give way. She seemed to be falling into the ruby light. Her ordinary mind was suspended; it seemed to have shuttled off to the side somewhere. In this odd dream-like state, nothing could surprise her. Abby's voice was slightly insistent. "What are you seeing?" And that was when Jenny saw it. A tiny picture that seemed to magically open up and unfold as she stared at it. "I see... Myself." She whispered

"Where are you?"

"I don't know. Wait, maybe I'm in my apartment." She could see herself, wearing the same clothes that she was in right now at this very moment. No, she was that self, she was there in her lounge room. She was in Abby's office, lying on the couch but at the same time she was at her apartment. How strange, she thought dimly to herself. "All right, now the picture will get clearer. You'll begin to see things around you. Just relax and you'll begin to see them. Now, what are you doing?" Without feeling anything – except a kind of distant amusement and resignation – Jenny said. "Writing a note."  
Abby murmured something that suspiciously sounded like "Aha." But it might of also been "Uh-Huh." The Abby said softly. "And why are you writing it?"

"I don't know – to warn myself. I have to warn myself."

"About what?" Jenny felt herself shake her own head helplessly.

"Ok... What are you feeling when you write it?"

"Oh..." That was easy. Abby was most likely expecting her to say something along the lines of fear or anxiety. But that wasn't the strongest emotion that she was feeling at all. Not the strongest at all.

"Longing," Jenny whispered. She moved her head restlessly on the couch. "Just – longing."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I want – so much... I want..."

"What do you want?"

"Him." It came out as a sob. Jenny's ordinary mind watched somewhere in amazement, but Jenny's body was entirely taken over by the feeling, racked with it. "I know it's impossible. It's the danger and death to me. But I don't care. I can't help it..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I mean, you're feeling very relaxed. You're very calm and you can answer my questions. Who is this person whom you are longing for?"

"The one who comes," Jenny said softly and hopelessly. "He's wicked and evil... I know that, they've both explained it to me all before. And I know that he'll kill me. The way he always had. But I'll be damned. I want him." She was trembling. She could feel her own body radiating heat – and she could hear Abby swallow. Somehow in this expanded state of consciousness she seemed to be able to see him, as if she could be everywhere at once. She knew that Abby was sitting there on the edge of her desk, looking at her dazedly, bewildered by the transformation in the her friend on her couch. Jenny knew that Abby could see her, her face pale and glowing from the inner heat, her breath coming in quickly, her body gripped by a muscular tremor. And she knew Abby was stirred and somewhat frightened.

"Oh, crap." Abby's breath came out and she shifted on the desk. She bowed her head and then lifted it, looking for a pencil. "Alright, I am going to admit that you have lost me, so let's just go from the beginning here. You feel like somebody is after you and that he's tried to kill you before? Some old boyfriend who's stalking you maybe?"

"No. He hasn't tried to kill me. He has killed me."

"He has killed you." Abby bit her pencil. She muttered, "I should of known better than to have started this. I should know that Hypnosis isn't real, I'm studying to be a scientist, come on Abigail."

"And he's going to do again. I'll die before my seventeenth birthday. It's my punishment for loving him. It always happens that way."

"Right. Ok. Ok, let's try something really basic here... Does this mystery guy have a name?" Jenny lifted her hand and let it drop. "When?" she whispered

"What?"

"When?"

"When what? What?" Abby shook her head. "Oh, hell – "

Jenny spoke precisely. "He's used different names at different times. He's had – hundreds I guess. But I think of him always as Jethro. Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Because that's the one he's used for the last couple of lifetimes." There was a long silence.

Then Abby spoke up, "The last couple of..."

"Lifetimes. It may still be his name now. The last time I saw him he said that he wouldn't bother to change it anymore. He wouldn't bother to hide any longer."

Abby said, "Oh, God." She stood to her feet, masked in black platform boots. She walked to the window and put her head in her hands. Then she turned back to Jenny. "Are we talking about...I mean, tell me that we're not talking about..." She paused and then her voice came out soft and boneless. "Because that's surely not possible." She winced when Jenny just got straight to the point.

"Reincarnation?" Another long silence. Then Jenny heard her own voice take control once again, but it was more flat than usual. "He hasn't been reincarnated."

"Oh." Abby's breath came out in relief. "Well, thank God for that, You had me scared there for a second Jenny."

"He's been alive all of this time," Jenny said. "He isn't human you know."

* * *

Shorter than the last chapter, but I wanted to leave it there :) I'm already working on the next chapter. I've been writing them out by hand first so it's a matter of typing it all. Let me know your thoughts, please review. They really are very appreciated...


	3. The First Time

Thanks for everyone who has reviewed so far and a Merry Christmas to everyone also! I hope that you all like this chapter. Please review! It helps make me a better writer and also if you want to guess what maybe happens or if you want something added into the storyline, all idea's are considered and welcomed. Also, I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter, work has been insane. **sighs**

* * *

Gibbs knelt by the window, careful not to make a noise or disturb any of the dry earth that was beneath him. It was a kill that was so familiar to his body that he might have even been born with it. Darkness was his native environment; he could melt into a shadow at an instants notice or move more quietly than a cat stalking its prey. But right now, he was looking into the light. That was where he could see her. Just the curve of her shoulder and the spill of her hair, but he knew it was her. Beside him, Ziva was crouched, her thin human body form, but she was quivering with animal alertness and tension. She whispered softer than a breath, "All right?" Gibbs tore his gaze from that shoulder and to look at her. Ziva's face was bruised, one eye almost closed, lower lip was torn yet she was smiling. She'd stuck around Medicine Rock until Gibbs had arrived, tailing the girl called Jenny Shepard, to make sure that no harm came her way. Gibbs placed a gentle hand on Ziva's left shoulder, not pressing hard.

"The car's at a tourist resort in Clearwater; take it to the airport at Billings. Tony will drive you, get on the next plane and get back to the house. Ducky is there waiting for you."

"But – you're surely not planning on staying here alone, are you? You're going to need back-up, boss. If they come – "

"I can take care of things, Jenny will be fine. I brought something that will protect her. And besides they won't do anything until they talk to me."

"But –"

"Go Ziva." Gibbs' tone wasn't as gentle as before. It was her order of liege lord, Leroy Jethro Gibbs of Night World, who was accustomed to being obeyed voice. Funny, Gibbs thought, how you never realise just how accustomed to being obeyed until somebody defies you. Now, he turned away from Ziva and looked through the window again. And promptly forgot that Ziva existed. The girl on the other side of the window, whom was on the couch, had turned. He could see her beautiful face and shock coursed through him. He had known it was her – but he hadn't known that it would look so much like her. Like the way that she had looked the first time that he'd seen her. This was what he thought of as her true face, and though he'd seen various approximations of it throughout the years, he's never seen it again. Until now. This was the exact image of the girl that he'd fallen in love with. The same long wavy hair, like silk in different shades of red, spilling over her shoulders. The same wide green eyes that seemed full of light. The same steady expression, the same tender mouth, upper lip indenting her lower, giving her a look of unintentional sensuality. The same fine bone structure, the high cheekbones and graceful line of jaw that made her a sculptor's dream. The only thing that was any different was the birthmark. The psychic brand. It was the colour of watered wine held up to the light, of watermelon ice, of a pink tourmaline, the palest of gemstones. Blushing rose. Like one large petal, slantwise beneath her cheekbone. As if she'd laid a rose against her cheek for a moment and it had left its imprint on her flesh.

To Jethro, it was beautiful, because it was a part of her. She'd worn it every lifetime after the first. But at the same time the very sight of it made his throat clamp shut and his fists clenched in helpless grief and fury – fury against himself. The mark was his shame, his punishment., And his penance was to watch her wear it in her innocence through the years. He would pour out his blood on the dry Montana dirt right now if it would take the mark away. But nothing in either the Night World or the human world could do that – at least there was nothing that he'd came across within the searching of the uncounted years. Oh dear God, he loved her, more than he'd ever loved anything or anyone before. He hadn't allowed himself to feel it for so long – because that feeling could drive him insane while he was away from her.

But now it came over him in a flood that he couldn't have resisted, even if he tried. It made his heart pound and his body tremble. The sight of her lying there, warm and alive, separated from him but only by a window that was easily breakable and a gothic teenage girl that was studying to be a scientist who was as easily as breakable but Ziva mentioned something about Jenny being close to the girl so he decided not to go barging in. Ziva also mentioned something about in this life that she killed vampires as a living but she had no clue about werewolves, that was another thing that made him think twice. Although he wanted her, there was no denying it.

He wanted to smash through the window, brush aside the gothic teenage girl and take Jenny into his arms. He wanted to carry her off into the night, holding her close to his heart and taking her to some secret place in which no-one would be able to find her to hurt her. He didn't. He knew... from experience... that it didn't work that way. He'd done it once or maybe twice and he paid the price for it. She'd hated him before she died. He would never ever risk that again. And so now, on this spring night near the turn of the millennium in the state of Montana in the United States of America, all that Gibbs could do was kneel outside a window on the balcony of the house but he was wrapped around the shadows, so the naked eye wouldn't be able to see him, and watch the newest incarnation of his only love.

He didn't realise it at first, though, what his only love just so happened to be doing. Ziva had told him that Jenny Shepard sometimes used this Abby girl as her psychologist. But it wasn't until only now, listening to what was going on inside the room that Gibbs slowly realised what exactly Jenny and Abby were up to. They were trying to break into subconscious as if it were some kind of bank vault. Using hypnosis to try and recover her memories.

It was dangerous. Not just because of the fact that the girl performing the hypnosis had no vague idea on what she was doing, but more to the other fact that Jenny's memory was more like a time-bomb ready to explode at any moment. It was full of too much trauma and deadly knowledge for any human to be able to handle without going completely insane. They shouldn't be doing this, he knew that. Every muscle in his body tensed, but there was no way that he could stop it, any of it. He could only listen – and wait.

* * *

Abby repeated with slow resignation. "He's not human."

"No. He's a lord of the Night World. He powerful... and evil." Jenny whispered. "He's lived for thousands of years." She added, almost absently. "I'm the one who's been reincarnated."

"Oh, terrific. Well, that's certainly a fresh twist."

"You don't believe me?"

Abby seemed to remember that she was talking to Jenny but what she remembered more importantly was that she was under hypnosis. "No, I – I mean, I don't know what to believe exactly. If it's a fantasy, well then there's got to be something underneath it, some psychological reason for you to make it all up. And that's what we're looking for. What all of this means to you." She hesitated, then said with a new determination, "Let's take it back to the first time when you met this guy. Ok, I want you to relax in the light; you're feeling very good. And now I want you to go back through time, just like turning back the pages of a book. In your mind, go back..." Jenny's ordinary mind was intruding, waking up, overriding the dreamy part of her that had been answering Abby's questions.

"Wait, I – I don't know if that's such a good idea, Abs."

"We can't figure this out until we find out what this all means to you, what it symbolises."

"It's like a far-off memory that's a dream, a dream that's like a far-off memory. I don't know what it means." Jenny was feeling far from convinced, but she also had another feeling that she probably wasn't supposed to argue under hypnosis. Maybe it doesn't matter, though, she thought. I'm waking up now; I probably won't be able to go back now anyway. "I want you to see yourself as fifteen years old, see yourself as fifteen. And now I want you to go back to when you were twelve years old; go in your mind to the time that you were twelve. Now go farther back, see yourself at nine years old, at six years old, at three years old. Now go back and see yourself as a baby, as an infant. Feel very comfortable and see yourself as a tiny baby." Jenny couldn't help but listen. She did feel comfortable and her mind did show her pictures as if the time just seemed to turn back naturally. It was like watching a running film of her life running backwards, herself getting smaller and smaller, and in the end she was tiny and bald. "And, now," the soothing irresistible voice said, "I want you to go farther back. Back to the time before you were born. The time before you were born as Jennifer Shepard. You are floating in the red light, you feel very relaxed, and you are going back, back... to the time when you first met this man that you think of as Jethro. Whatever time that might be, go back. Go back to the first time."

Jenny was being drawn down a tunnel. She had no control and she was scared. Maybe this wasn't such a bright idea after all. It wasn't like the rumoured near-death tunnel. It was red, with translucent, shining, pulsing walls – something like a womb. And she was being pulled or sucked through it at an ever-increasing speed. No, she thought. But she couldn't say anything. It was all happening too fast and she couldn't make a sound. "Back to the first time," Abby intoned, and her words seemed to echo in Jenny's head, a whispering of many voices but all saying the same thing. As if a hundred Jenny's had gotten together and murmured sibilantly. "The First Time. The First Time."

"Go back... and you will begin to see pictures. You will see yourself, maybe in a strange place. Go back and see this." The First Time...No, Jenny thought again. And something in her mind, something very deep whimpered,

"I don't want to see it." But she was being pulled through the soft red tunnel, faster and faster. She had a feeling of unimaginable distance being crossed. And then... she had the feeling of some threshold had finally been reached. The First Time. She exploded into darkness, squirted out of the tunnel like a watermelon seed between wet fingers. Silence. Dark. And then – a picture. It opened up like a tiny leaf unfolding itself, unfolding out of a seed, the picture then got bigger until it surrounded her. It was like a scene from a movie except that it was all around her, she seemed to be floating in the middle of it. "What do you see?" came Abby's voice softly and very far away that she was surprised that she'd even heard it in the first place.

"I see... me," Jenny said. "It's me, it looks just like me. Except that I don't have my birthmark." She was full of wonder.

"Where are you? What do you see yourself doing?"

"I don't have an answer to either of your questions." Jenny was too amazed to feel any other emotion, this was surreal. It was so strange... she could see this better than a memory of her real life. The scene was incredibly detailed, but yet at the same time, it was so unfamiliar to her.

"What am I doing? I'm holding something, a rock maybe? And I'm doing something with it to a tiny little... something." She sighed, defeated, then she added, "Oh no! I'm wearing animal skins?! It's sort of a shirt and some kind of pants but this is... Abby, there's a cave behind me."

"Sounds like you're quite far back Jenny." Abby's voice sounded in stark contrast to Jenny's wonder and also her disgust in wearing animal parts as clothes. Abby's voice sounded amused, resigned in a few ways but there was an unmistakable hint of boredom as well. "And – there's a girl who's beside me and how peculiar. She looks just like my best friend Kara! She's got the same face, the same eyes. She's wearing animal skins, too. It could be some sort of skin dress."

"Yeah, and it had about the detail of most past-life regressions in this book," Abby said wryly. Jenny could tell that Abby was flipping the pages of the book. "You're doing something to something with a rock, you're wearing some type of skins. The books full of descriptions of things like that. People who want to imagine themselves in the olden days, but who don't know the first things about them," she muttered to herself. Jenny didn't wait for her to remember that she was still talking to a hypnotized patient. "But you didn't tell me to be that person back then, you just told me to see it."

"Huh? Oh. Okay then, be that person." She said it oh so casually. Panic spurted through Jenny.

"Wait – I..." But she said it too late, it was already happening. She was falling, dissolving, merging into the scene that was once around her. She was becoming the girl in front of the cave. The First Time... Distantly, she heard her own voice whispering, "I'm holding flint burin, a tool for drilling. I'm boring holes in the tooth or an arctic fox."

"Be that person," Abby repeated mechanically, still using the bored voice of hers. The she said surprised, "What?"

"Mother's going to be furious – I'm supposed to be sorting the fruit that we stored last winter for the Spring Gathering. There's not much left and it's mostly rotten. But at least Jet killed a fox and gave the skull to Karn, and we've spent all morning knocking the teeth out and making them into a necklace for Karn. Karn just has to have something new to wear at every festival." She then heard Abby say slowly and softly,

"Oh, my God..." Then she heard Abby swallow and then Abby continued. "Wait, you want to be a palaeontologist, right? You know about all sorts of old things..."

"I want to be a what? I'm going to be a shaman, like Old Mother. I should get married, but there's nobody I want. Karn keeps telling me I'll meet somebody at a gathering, but I don't think so." She shivered.

"Weird – I've got chills all of a sudden. Old Mother says that she can't see my destiny. She pretends like it's nothing to worry about but I know that deep down she is worried. That's why she wants me to be a shaman, so I can fight back if the spirits have something rotten in mind for me."

Abby said, "Jenny – uh, let's just make sure that we can get you out of this, all right? You know, just in case that it should become necessary. Now, when I clap my hands you're going to awaken completely refreshed. Okay? Okay?"

"My name's not Jenny, it's Jana." It was pronounced: Jah – na. "And besides, I'm already awake, Karn is laughing at me. She's threading the teeth on a sinew string. She says I'm off daydreaming again. She's right too; I just wrecked the hole for this tooth."

"When I clap my hands, you're going to wake up. You will be Jenny Shepard in Montana." A clap. "Jenny, how do you feel?" Another clap. "Jenny? Jenny?"

"It's Jana, Jana of the River People. And I don't know any of what you're talking about; I can't be somebody else." She stiffened. "Wait – something's happening. There's some kind of commotion from the river. Something's going on."

Abby's voice wasn't bored anymore, it was desperate. "When I clap my hands – "

"Shhh. Be quiet would you." Something was happening and Jana had to see it, she had to know. She had to stand up...

* * *

And that's all for this chapter, otherwise the update period would of been delayed longer and I also thought that this was a better cut-off point. It just means that the next chapter will be longer. I will update after Christmas. :) Don't forget to review!


	4. Stranger?

As per promised, I am trying hard to stick to my New Years Resolution, which isn't that easy. But I hope you like this chapter :)

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Jana of three rivers stood up.

"Everybody's excited by the river." She told Karn

"Maybe Jet fell in," Karn said. "No, that's too much to hope for. Jana, what am I going to do? He wants to mate me, but I just can't picture it. I want someone interesting, somebody different..."

She held up the half-finished necklace. "So what do you think?" Jana barely glanced at her. Karn looked wonderful, with short brown hair, her glowing slanted grey eyes, and her mysterious smile. The necklace was attractive; red beads alternated with delicate milky white teeth.

"Fine, beautiful. You'll break every heart at the gathering. I'm going down to the river." Karn put down the necklace.

"Well, if you insist – wait for me."

The river was broad and fast flowing, covered with little white-capped waves because two tributaries had just joined it. Jana's people had lived in the limestone caves by the three rivers for longer than anyone could remember. Karn was behind her as Jana made her way through new green cattails to bend the river. Then she saw what the fuss was about. There was a stranger crouching in the reeds. That was exciting enough – strangers didn't come very often. But the stranger was unlike any man that Jana had ever seen before in her life. "It's a demon," Jet whispered, awed.

It was a young man, a couple of years older than herself. He might have been handsome in other circumstances. He had dark brown hair, his face was well-made; his tall body was lithe. Jana could almost see almost all of that body because he was only wearing a brief leather loincloth. That didn't bother her; everybody went naked in the summer when it was hot enough. But this wasn't summer, it was spring and the days could still be chilly. No sane person would be travelling without clothes. But that wasn't what shocked Jana, what held her standing there rigid with her heart pounding so hard that she couldn't breathe. It was the rest of the boy's appearance. Jet was right – he was a demon, it was as clear as a crystal. His eyes were wrong, more like the eyes of a lynx or wolverine rather than the eyes of a person but the colour of them was tinged with blue. They seemed to throw the sunlight back at you when you looked into them. But the eyes were nothing at all when you saw the teeth. His canine teeth were long and delicately curved. They came to a sharp and very non-human point.

Almost involuntarily, Jana looked down at the fox tooth that she still held in her palm. Yes, that was exactly what they looked like, only bigger, much bigger. The boy was filthy, caked with mud from the river; his dark hair ruffled crazily, his eyes staring wildly from side to side. There was blood on his mouth and chin.

"He's a demon all right," one of the men said. Five men with spears, others with hastily grabbed rocks. "What else could have a human body with animal eyes and teeth?"

"A spirit?" Jana said. She didn't even realise she'd said it until she asked. But now, with everybody looking at her, she drew herself up tall and did the most logical thing she could think of in that moment.

"Whether he's a demon or spirit, you'd better not hurt him. Old Mother is the one who should decide what to do with him. This is a matter for the shamans."

"You're not a shaman yet," another one of the men said. It was Arno, a very broad-shouldered man who was the leader of the hunters. Jana didn't like him. And she wasn't sure why she'd spoken up in favour of the stranger but there was something in his eyes. The look of a suffering animal and Jana couldn't let him suffer, she had to do something. He seemed so alone and so frightened, if the roles were reversed, Jana had no doubt that she'd feel the same.

"She's right, we'd better take him to Old Mother," one of the hunters said.

"Should we hit him on the head and tie him up, or do you think we should just herd him?" But at that moment, a high thin sound came to Jana over the rushing of the river. It was a woman screaming.

"Help me! Somebody come help me! Ryl's been attacked!"

* * *

Jana turned and hurried up the riverbank. The woman screaming was Sada, her mother's sister, and the girl who was stumbling beside her was Ryl, Jana's little cousin. Ryl was a pretty little girl, ten years old. But right now she looked dazed and almost unconscious. And her neck and the front of her leather tunic were smeared with blood. "What happened?" Jana gasped, running to put her arms around her cousin. "She was out looking for new greens. I found her lying on teh ground – I thought she was dead!" Sada's face contoured in grief. She was speaking rapidly, almost incoherently. "And look at this – look at her neck!" On Ryl's pale neck, in the centre on the blood, Jana could make out just two small marks. They looked like the marks of sharp teeth – but only two teeth. "It had to be an animal," Jet breathed behind Jana.

"But what animal leaves only two marks of teeth?" Jana's heart felt tight and oddly heavy ant once – like a stone was falling inside of her. Sada was already speaking.

"It wasn't an animal! She says it was a man, a boy! She says he threw her down and bit her – and he - drank her blood." Sada began to sob, clutching Ryl to her. "Why would he want to do that? Oh, please, somebody help me! My daughters been hurt!" Ryl stared dazedly over her mother's arms.

Jet said faintly, "A boy..."

Jana gulped and said, "Let's take her to Old Mother..." But then she stopped and looked toward the river. The men were driving the stranger up the bank. He was snarling, terrified and angry, but when he saw Ryl, his expression changed. He stared at her, his wounded animal eyes sick and dismayed.

To Jana, it seemed as if he could hardly stand to look at her, but he couldn't look away. His gaze was fixed on the little girl's throat. And he turned away, his eyes shut, his head falling into his hands. Every movement showed anguish. It was as if all the fight had gone out of him at once. Jana looked back and forth in horror from the girl with blood on her throat to the stranger with blood on his mouth. The connection was obvious and nobody had to make it out loud. But why? She thought, feeling slightly nauseated and dizzy. Why would anyone want to drink a girl's blood?

No animal and no human did that. He must be a demon after all. Arno stepped forwards. He gripped Ryl's chin gently, turning her head toward the stranger. "Was he the one who attacked you?" Ryl's dazed eyes stared straight ahead – and then she suddenly seemed to focus. Her pupils got big and she looked at the stranger's face. Then she started screaming. Screaming and screaming, hand flying up to cover her eyes.

Her mother began to sob, rocking her. Some of the men began to shout at the stranger, jabbing spears at him, overcome with shock and horror. All the sounds merged together in a terrifying cacophony in Jana's head. Jana found herself trembling. She reached automatically for little Ryl, not knowing how to comfort her. Jet was crying, Sada was wailing as she held her child. People were streaming out of the limestone cave, yelling, trying to find out what all of the noise was about. And through it all, the stranger huddled, his eyes shut, his face was a mask of grief. Arno's voice rose above the others.

"I think we hunters know what to do with him. This is no longer a matter for the shamans!" He was looking at Jana when he said it. Jana looked back, she couldn't speak. There was no reason for her to care what happened to the stranger – but she did care. He had hurt her cousin... but he was so wretched, so unhappy. Maybe he couldn't help it, she thought suddenly. She didn't know where that idea had come from, but it was the kind of instinct that made Old Mother say she should be a shaman. Maybe... he didn't want to do it, but something drove him to do it. And now he's sorry and ashamed, Maybe... oh, I don't know!

Still trembling, she found herself speaking out loud again. "You can't just kill him. You have to take him to Old Mother."

"It's none of her business!"

"It's her business to take care of him if he's a demon! You're just co-leader, Arno. You take care of the hunting. But Old Mother is the leader in spiritual things." Arno's face went tight and angry.

"Fine, then," he said. "We take him to Old Mother." Jabbing with their spears, the men drove the stranger into the cave. By then, most of the people of the clan had gathered around and they were muttering angrily. Old Mother was the oldest woman in the clan – the great grandmother of Jana and Ryl and almost everybody. She had a face covered with wrinkles and a body like a dried stick. But her dark eyes were full of wisdom. She was the clan's shaman. She was the one who interceded directly with the Earth Goddess, the Bright Mother, the Giver of Life who was above all other spirits. She listened to every story seriously, sitting on her leather pallet while the others gathered around her.

Jana edged close to her and Ryl was placed in her lap. "They want to kill him," Jana murmured in the old woman's ear when the story was over. "But look at his eyes. I know he's sorry, and I think that maybe he didn't mean to hurt Ryl. Can you talk to him Old Mother?" Old Mother knew a lot of different languages; she'd travelled very far when she had been young. But now, after trying several, she shook her head.

"Demons don't speak any human languages," Arno said scornfully. He was standing with his spear ready although the stranger squatting in front of the old woman showed no signs of trying to run away.

"He's not a demon," Old Mother said, with a severe glance at Arno. Then she added slowly, "But he's certainly not a man, either. I'm not sure what he is. The Goddess has never told me anything about people like him."

"Then obviously the Goddess isn't interested," Arno said with a shrug. "Let the hunters take care of him." Jana gripped the old woman's thin shoulder. Old Mother put a twig-like hand on Jana's. Her dark eyes were grave and sad.

"The one thing we do know about is that he's capable of great harm," she said softly. "I'm sorry, child, but I think Arno is right." Then she turned to Arno. "It's getting dark. We'd better shut him up somewhere tonight; then in the morning we can decide what to do with him. Maybe the Goddess will tell me something about him as I sleep." But Jana knew better. She saw the look on Arno's face as he and the other hunters led the stranger away.

And she heard the cold angry muttering of others in the clan. In the morning the stranger would die, no question about it. And unpleasantly if Arno had his way, and there wasn't a doubt that he wouldn't. It was probably what he deserved. It was none of Jana's business. But that night, as she lay on her leather pallet underneath her warm furs, she couldn't sleep. It was as if the Goddess were poking her, telling her that something was wrong. Something had to be done, and there were nobody else to do it. Jana thought about the look of anguish in the stranger's eyes. Maybe... if he went somewhere far away... he couldn't hurt other people.

Out on the steppes there were no people to hurt. Maybe that was what the Goddess wanted. Maybe he was some creature that had wandered out of the spirit world and the Goddess would be angry if he were killed. Jana didn't know; she wasn't a shaman yet. All she knew was that she felt pity for the stranger and she couldn't keep it in any longer. A short time before dawn she got up. Very quietly, she went to the back of the cave and picked up a spare waterskin and some hard patties of travelling food. Then she crept to the side of the cave where the stranger was shut up. The hunters had set a sort of fence around the cave, like the fences that they used to trap animals. It was made of branches and bones lashed together with a series of cords. A hunter was beside the fence, one hand on his spear. He was leaning against the cave wall, and he was asleep with his mouth open. Jana edged past him.

Her heart was pounding so loudly she was certain it would wake him up. But the hunter didn't move. Slowly, carefully, Jana pulled one side of the fence outward. From the darkness inside the cave, two eyes gleamed at her, throwing back the light of the fire. Jana pressed her fingers against her mouth, a sign to be quiet, then beckoned. It was only then that she realised just how dangerous what she was doing was. She was letting him out – what was to stop him from rushing past her and into the main cave, grabbing people and biting them? But the stranger did no such thing. He didn't move. He sat and his two eyes glowed at Jana. He's not going to come, she realised. He won't. She beckoned again, more urgently. The stranger still sat.

Jana's eyes were getting use to the darkness in the side cave and now she could see that he was shaking his head. He was determined to stay here and let the clan kill him. Jana got mad. Balancing the fence precariously, she jabbed a finger at him, then jerked her thumb over her shoulder. The gesture obviously meant. You – Out! She put it all behind the authority of a descendant of Old Mother's, a woman destined to be co-leader of the clan someday in the future. And when the stranger didn't obey immediately, she reached for him. That apparently scared him. He shrank back, seeming more alarmed than he had at anything else that had happened so far. He seemed afraid for her to touch him. Afraid he might hurt me, Jana thought.

She didn't know what put the idea into her mind. And she didn't waste time wondering about it. She simply pressed her advantage, reaching for him again, using his fear to make him go where she wanted him to. She herded him into the main cave and through it. They both moved as if shadows among the shelters built along either side of the cave, Jana feeling very certain that they were about to be caught at any moment. However, nobody caught them. When they got outside she guided him toward the river. Then she pointed downstream. She put the food and the waterskin in his hands and made far-flung gestures that meant, go far away. Very far away, very, very far. She was going into a pantomime indicating that Arno would do with his spear if the stranger ever came back when she noticed the way he was looking at her., The moon was up and so bright that she could see every detail of the strange boy's face. And now he was looking at her steadily, with the quiet concentration of a hunting animal, a carnivore. At the same time there was something bleak and terribly human in his eyes. Jana stopped her pantomime. All at once, the space around the cave seemed very large, and she felt very small. She heard night noises, the croaking of frogs and the rushing of the river, with a particular intensity.

I should of never brought him out here, I'm alone and out here with him. What was I thinking? There was a long pause while they stood looking at each other silently. The stranger's eyes were very dark, as bottomless and ageless as Old Mother's but there was something about them that mesmerised her. Jana could see that his eyelashes were long and she realised again, dimly that he was handsome, no he wasn't, that was by far an understatement, he was gorgeous. He lifted the packet of travelling food, looked at it, then with a sudden gesture he threw it on the ground. He did the same with the waterskin. Then he sighed.

Jana was bristling, going from fear to pure annoyance, and then back again several times. What was he doing? Did he think that she was going to poison him? She picked up the food packet, broke a piece off and put it in her mouth. Chewing, she extended the packet toward him again. She made gestures from packet to mouth, saying out loud, "You need to eat food. Eat! Eat!" He watched her steadily.

He took the packet from her, touched his mouth, and shook his head. He dropped it at his feet again. He means it isn't food to him or he is just one stubborn son of a... Jana realised it with shock. She stood and stared at the strange boy. The food isn't food to him and the water isn't drink. But Ryl's blood... he drank that. Blood is his food and drink. There was another long pause. Jana was very frightened. Her mouth was trembling and tears had come to her eyes. The stranger was still looking at her quietly, but she could see the fangs indenting his lower lip now and his eyes were reflecting moonlight. He was looking at her throat. We're out here alone... he could of attacked me at any time, Jana thought. He could attack me right now. He looks very strong. But he hasn't touched me. Even though he's starving, I think.

And he looks so grieved, so sad... and so hungry. Her thoughts were tumbling like a piece of bark tossed on the river. She suddenly felt dizzy. It hurt Ryl... but it didn't kill Ryl. Ryl was sitting up and eating before we all went to sleep tonight. Old Mother said she's going well. If it didn't kill her, it wouldn't kill me. Jana swallowed, she looked at the strange boy with the glowing animal eyes.

She saw that he wasn't going to move toward her even though a fine trembling had taken over his body and he couldn't seem to look away from her neck. What good does it do to send him off starving? There's no other clan near here. He'll just have to come back and I was right before; he doesn't want to do it, but he has to do it. Maybe somebody put a curse on him, made it so that he starves unless he drinks blood. There's nobody else to help him. Very slowly, her eyes on the stranger, Jana lifted her hair away from one side of her neck. She exposed her throat, leaning her head back slightly.

Hunger sparkled in the strange boy's eyes – and then something blazed in them so quickly and so hot that it swallowed up the hunger. Shock and anger. He was starring at her face now, not her neck. He shook his head vehemently, glaring. Jana touched her neck and then to her mouth, then made far-flung gestures once again, eat and then go away. And for Goddess's sake, hurry up, she thought, shutting her eyes.

Before I panic and change my mind. She was crying now, she couldn't help it, she clenched her fists, gritted her teeth together and waited. When he touched her for the first time, it was to take her hand. Jana opened her eyes; he was looking at her with such infinite sadness. He smoothed out her fist gently, the kissed her hand. Among any people, it was a gesture of gratitude... and reverence. And it sent startling tingles through Jana. A feeling that was almost like shivers, but warm, comforting. A lightness in her head and a weakness in her legs. A sense of awe and wonder that she'd only ever felt before when Old Mother was teaching her to communicate with the Goddess. She could see a startled reaction in the stranger's eyes, he was feeling the same things, which in a way was a relief, she wasn't staring to go insane. Although she could tell that these feelings were equally new to him, Jana knew that.

But then he dropped her hand quickly and she knew that he was also afraid. The feelings were dangerous – because they drew the two of them together. One long moment while they stood and she saw the moonlight in his eyes, a hint of blue. Then he turned on his heels to leave. Jana watched him, her throat aching, knowing he was going die. And somehow that wrenched her insides in a way that she'd never experienced before. However, she kept standing still, with her head held high, she could feel the tears running down her cheeks. She had no clue to why she felt this way – but it hurt her terribly. It was as if she were losing something... Infinitely precious... before she'd had a chance to know it. The future now seemed grey, empty and alone...

"Jenny! Jennifer Shepard! Wake up!" Someone was shouting, but it wasn't a voice from her cave. In fact it sounded – faraway – and seemed to come from all directions, or maybe from the sky itself. But the name that this person 3was shouting was foreign to her, it wasn't her name. "Jenny, wake up! Please! Open your eyes!" The faraway voice was frantic.

And then there was another voice, a quiet voice that seemed to strike a deep chord inside Jana. A voice that was even less like sound, and that spoke in Jana's mind. _Jenny, come back. You don't have to relive all of this. Wake up. Come back, Jenny – now. _Jana of three rivers closed her eyes and went limp.

Jenny opened her eyes.

* * *

Wow, I haven't updated in quite a while. I hope that you all liked this chapter. The next chapter shall be an interesting one. Jenny and the modern day Jethro meet. Hmmm... I would really really really appreciate if you guys took a minute or two to review? It would make my day! I love reading reviews and your opinions XD


	5. You're an Old Soul

**A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a while and everything but hopefully this chapter will make up for it! And caution for a couple of swear words that are more towards the end of the chapter. As promised, there will be more excitement in this chapter and by more, so I hope you enjoy that! I'm sorry for the last chapter; it was more of a filler chapter than anything. As always, read and review, alert or favourite. (: I enjoy reading your opinions!**

* * *

_Previously;_

_Jenny opened her eyes. _

"Oh, thank God," Abby said. She seemed to be almost crying. "Oh thank God. Do you see me? Do you know who you are?"

"I'm wet," Jenny said slowly, feeling dazed. She touched her face. Her hair was dripping. Abby was holding a water glass. "Why am I wet?"

"I had to wake you up." Abby sagged to the floor beside the couch. "What is your name? What year is it?"

"My name is Jennifer Shepard," Jenny said , still feeling dazed and bodiless. "And it's –" Suddenly memory rushed through her, out of the fog. She sat upright like a bolt, tears threatening to escape. "What the hell was all of that?" Jenny demanded.

"I don't know," Abby whispered

"Not the exact answer I was looking for, Abs." Then Abby leaned her head against the couch, then looked up, looking into Jenny's green orbs. "You just kept talking – you were telling the story as if you were there. It was really happening to you. And nothing I could do would break the trance. I tried everything – I thought you were never going to come out of it. And then you started sobbing and I couldn't make you stop."

"I felt as if it were happening to me," Jenny said quietly. Her head ached; her whole body felt bruised with tension. And she was reeling with memories that were perfectly real and perfectly hers... and impossible. Nothing was making any sense; Jenny was completely and utterly confused.

"That was like no past life regression I've ever read about," Abby said, her voice was agitated. "The detail... you knew everything. Have you ever studied – is there any way you could have known those kinds of things?"

"Pfft... As if Abby, does it look like I'm even remotely interested in the Stone Age?" answered Jenny

"Jenny."

"I've never studied anything to do with the Stone Age in my life, and this was real. It wasn't something I was making up as I was going along."

They were both talking at once now. "That guy," Abby was saying. "He's the one that you're afraid of, isn't he? But, look, you know, regression is one thing... past lives is another thing... but this is beyond the meaning of crazy."

"Tell me about it." Jenny muttered under her breath, then she cleared her throat. "Well we know that this guy is meant to be a vamp, a caveman one obviously. He was probably the first one because I don't believe in reincarnation."

"Is that a rule?" inquired Abby

"More of a faith than an actual rule." replied Jenny.

"So back to our dilemma." Said Abby

"Just plain crazy. This is crazy." Jenny thought out loud.

"I agree."

They both took a breath, looking at each other. There was a silence, a long silence. Jenny put a hand to her forehead. "I'm ... really tired."

"Yeah. Yeah, I can understand that." Abby looked around the room, nodded twice, and then got up. "Well we'd better get you home. We can talk about this later, figure out what it really means. Some kind of subconscious fixation... archetypical symbolism... something." She ran out of air and shook her head.

"Don't strain yourself, Abby." Jenny said gently but Abby ignored her comment.

"Now, you feel all right, don't you? And you're not going to worry about this? Because there's nothing to worry about." Abby began rambling.

"I know. I know."

"At least we know we don't have to worry about vampires attacking you." She laughed. Abby's laugh however was very strained, despite her attempts of trying to bring some light onto the situation.

Jenny couldn't even manage a smile, she hadn't told Abby that she knew that vampires were real or the fact that she hunted them. Another silence, this time however, it was brief. Abby spoke, "You know, I think I'll drive you home. That would be good. That would be a good idea."

"No." Jenny said sternly, "No, I came over with my bike and the drive will do me some good." Said Jenny, Abby was going to argue with her but the expression on Jenny's face, changed Abby's inhibitions in an instant.

Abby held out a hand to help get her friend off of the couch. "By the way, I'm really sorry about how I had to get you all wet."

"No. It was good you did. I was feeling so awful – and there were worse things about to happen."

Abby blinked. "I'm sorry?"

Jenny looked at Abby helplessly, then away. "There were worse things about to happen. Terrible things. Really, really awful things."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know. But there were."

* * *

Jenny pulled up onto her street, the drive home had given her a chance just to concentrate on driving and nothing else. She pulled up to where she lived and parked her bike in the garage. She was quite relived to be at home more than she thought, relived and truly glad. Once inside the house, she allowed herself to be calm and breathe deeply. She walked into the abandoned hallway and went straight to her room. She removed her weapons and placed them on her vanity, she took off her shoes and her clothes, as she headed into her bathroom for a much deserved shower.

The beads of hot water clung to her skin, she welcomed them though, then she washed her hair, face and body before shutting off the water and getting out the shower. She patted herself dry before putting on a pair of black undies on and a matching bra that she grabbed from her closet and she also put on a pair of black tracksuit pants and a black tank top with spaghetti straps. She put her hair in a ponytail, pinning her fringe back with a series of bobby pins. She felt the overwhelming urge to eat something so she walked into her kitchen and searched the fridge for something edible. There was a lean cuisine meal in the freezer that Jenny chucked in the microwave for seven and a half minutes. She pressed a button on her home phone for missed calls and messages. "You have one new message, received at four, twenty pm." Said the robotic voice.

"Hey Jen, it's me. Just wanted to make sure that you were okay and that you got home safe. Keep a knife on you, just in case. Love you!" Kara, it was kind of cute how she was checking up on me, thought Jenny. But she did take Kara's advice by concealing a metal knife on her. She considered calling Kara back but she didn't know what to say, a part of Jenny wanted to tell Kara everything, but something was stopping her. She'll think I'm crazy. And she'd be right and then there was the possibility where she could even be a little bit appalled to have her best friend, going insane. Okay so maybe that was an exaggeration, and Jenny knew that, but somehow she still couldn't bring herself to tell anyone about what was happening.

Since her father was in another country at the moment and her mother was somewhere, actually she didn't keep much contact with her mother or her whereabouts.

Jenny though to herself, they'll all tell you how impossible all this stuff is about vampires and past lives and...

That's the problem.

Jenny stood frozen, I know for a fact that vampires and werewolves are real so why not reincarnation. I know what I saw, I know things about Jana, things that weren't even in the story that I told Abby. I know she wore a tunic and leggings of rose dear hide. I know she ate wild cattle and wild boar and salmon and hazel nuts. I know she made tools out of elk and antler and deer bone and flint... God, I could pick up a flint and cobble and knock off a set of blades and scrapers right now. I know I could. I can feel how to in my hands.

She looked at her hands that were shaking slightly. And I know she had a beautiful singing voice, a voice like crystal...

Like the crystal voice in my mind.

So what do I do when they tell me it's impossible? Argue with them? Then I'll be really crazy, like those people who think they're Napoleon or Cleopatra. God, I hope I haven't been Cleopatra .Half laughing and half crying; she put her face in her hands for a second.

And what about him?

The brunette stranger with the blue yet bottomless eyes, the guy that Jana didn't have a name for, but Jenny knew as Jethro. If the rest was supposedly real, did that mean that he was too?

He's the one I'm afraid of, Jenny thought. But he didn't seem so bad. Dangerous, but not evil. So why do I think of him as evil? It could be the fact that I kill vampires, Jenny concluded but it didn't feel right. And why did I want him so much anyway?

Because she did want him, there was no point in denying it, not that she wanted too, but she wouldn't admit that to anyone else. She remembered the feelings of Jana standing next to the stranger in the moonlight. Confusion... fear... and oddly enough, attraction. That magnetism between them, the extraordinary things that happened when he touched her hand.

He came to the Three Rivers. Oh, God, why didn't I think of that before? The note. One of the notes said. 'Remember the Three Rivers."

Okay, so I've remembered, what now? A little guidance right now would not hurt!

She had no idea. Maybe she was supposed to understand everything now, and know what to do... but she didn't. She was more confused than ever.

_Of course, _a tiny voice like a cool dark wind in her brain said, _you didn't remember _all _of it yet. Did you? Abby woke you up before it got to the end. _

Shut up, Jenny told the voice promptly. But that didn't stop the thoughts from floating around in Jenny's mind. Suddenly a beeping noise was heard. Jenny went straight into defence mode, ready to attack. Then she realised with stupidity, it was just the microwave. She opened up the microwave and let the frozen meal cool, she wasn't hungry anymore but she knew that she had to eat something or she would lose energy and that was something that she couldn't afford to lose, especially because she was expecting for one of Hunter's boys to attack.

Within twenty minutes, Jenny had finished eating and then cleaned up her mess. Jenny then found herself wandering aimlessly through her apartment, she was restless, straightening things, picking up books and various other things, only to put them back again. I should go to sleep, I need sleep.

That's the only thing that will make me feel better and make my mind go blank, she thought to herself. But she couldn't make herself sit let alone lie down.

Maybe I need some air.

It was a strange thought. She'd never actually felt the need to go outside for the sole purpose of breathing fresh air – in Montana you did that all day long. But there was something pulling at her, drawing her to go outside. It was like a compulsion and she couldn't resist it. I'll just go on the back porch, one of the best things about having the ground floor apartment. Of course, there's nothing out there to be scared of. And if I go outside, then I'll even prove it to myself there isn't and then I can finally go to sleep. Without even taking a second to consider the logic of this until she opened the back door and was on the porch herself.

It was a beautiful night to say at the least. The moon threw a silver glow over everything and the horizon seemed very far away. Jenny's backyard blended into the wild bluestem and pine grass of the prairie. The wind carried the clean pungent smell of sage.

We'll even have spring flowers soon, Jenny thought. Asters and bluebells and little golden buttercups, everything will be green for a while. Spring's a time for life, not death. And I was right to come out here, I feel more relaxed now and I can go inside and finally lie down...

It was that moment that she realized that she was being watched. It was the same feeling she'd been having for weeks, the feeling that there were eyes in the darkness and they were fixed on her. Chills of adrenalin ran through Jenny's body.

Don't panic, she told herself. It's just a feeling, there's probably nothing out there and if there is, you have a knife.

She took a slow step backward toward the door. She didn't want to move too quickly. She had the irrational certainty that if she turned and ran, whatever it was watching her would spring out and get her before she got the door open.

At the same time she edged backward, her eyes and ears straining so hard that she saw grey spots and she heard a thin ringing. She was trying, desperately, to catch some sign of movement, some sort of sound. But everything was still and the only noise were the normal distant noises of the outdoors.

Then she saw the shadow.

Black against the light blackness of the night, it was moving among the bluestem grass. And it was big, and it was tall. Not a cat or other small animal, it was as big as a person.

And it was coming towards her.

_Don't be ridiculous, _a sharp voice in her head told her. _Get _inside. _You're standing here in the light from the windows; you're a perfect target. Get inside _fast _and lock the door. _

Jenny whirled around, and knew even as she did it that she wouldn't be fast enough. It was going to jump at her exposed back. It was going to...

* * *

"Wait," came a voice out of the darkness, "Please. Wait."

A male voice, unfamiliar, but it seemed to grab Jenny and hold her still. "I won't hurt you. I promise."

_Runrunrunrun! _Jenny's mind told her.

Very slowly, one hand on the door knob, she turned around. She watched the dark figure coming out of the shadows to her. She didn't try to get away again. She had a dizzying feeling that fate had caught up with her.

The ground sloped, so the light from her apartment window; showed her his boots first, and then legs of his jeans. Normal walking boots like any Montanan might wear. Ordinary jeans, long legs, he was tall. Then the light showed his shirt, which was an ordinary t-shirt, a little cold to be walking around in at night. Yet nothing was startling.

And then his shoulders; which were nice ones. Then he stepped onto the base of the porch, she saw his face.

He looked better than when she had last seen him, his brown hair wasn't crazily messed up; it fell neatly over his forehead and he wasn't in any way, splattered with mud. And this time, his eyes weren't wild. They were dark and endlessly sad that it was like a knife in the heart just to see him. But it was unmistakably without a doubt, they boy from her hypnosis session earlier with Abby.

So of course she did the most instinctive thing that occurred to her, she stabbed him in the abdomen. Pushing the knife in deep, twisting it and pulling it out sharply, it was a shame that this knife was metal and not wood. "Fuck! What the hell was that for!?"

"Lay one finger on me and I swear it'll be cut off." Jenny said sternly.

She was trembling violently and she had to put pressure on her knees to keep standing. The world was changing around her, and it was the most disorienting thing she'd ever experience. It was as if the fabric of her universe was actually moving – pushing and shifting to accommodate new truths.

Nothing was ever going to be the same again.

"Are you all right?" The stranger moved toward her and Jenny recoiled instantly.

"Don't touch me!" she gasped, and at the same moment her legs gave out. She slid to the floor of the porch and stared at the boy whose face was now approximately level with hers.

He almost whispered. "I know what you're going through. You're just realising now, aren't you?"

Jenny said, whispering to herself, "It's all true."

"Yes." The dark eyes were so sad.

"It's... I've had past lives."

"Yes." He squatted on the ground, looking down as if he couldn't keep staring at her face. He picked up a pebble, examined it. Jenny noticed that his fingers were long and sensitive looking.

"You're an Old Soul," he said quietly. "You've had lots of lives."

"I was Jana of Three Rivers."

His finger stopped rolling the pebble. "Yes."

"And you're Jethro. And you're a..."

He didn't look up. "Go on. Say it."

Jenny couldn't, her voice wouldn't form the word. The stranger – Jethro – said it for her. "Vampire." A glance from those unfathomable eyes...

Jenny breathed and looked down at him. But the world had finished reshaping and her mind was finally able to start working again. At least I know that I'm not crazy, she thought. That's some consolation; it's the universe that is insane and not me. And now I have to deal with it, somehow.

She asked quietly, "Are you going to kill me now?"

"God – no!" He stood up fast, uncoiling. Shock was naked on his face. "You don't understand. I would never hurt you. I..." He broke off. "It's hard to know where to begin."

Jenny sat silently, while he looked around the porch for inspiration. She could feel her heart beating in her throat. She'd told Abby that this boy had killed her, kept killing her. But this look of shock was just so genuine, as if she'd hurt him terribly in some way by even suggesting it.

"I suppose I should start by explaining exactly what I've done to make you come outside tonight, I influenced you. I didn't want to do it, I know how much you hate mind control but it was the only way and I had to talk to you. We had to talk."

"You influenced me?"

_It's a mental thing, I can communicate this way too. This is just one of my powers. _It was his voice, but his lips weren't moving.

And to top it off, it was the exact same voice that she'd heard at the end of her hypnosis session with Abby. The voice wasn't Abby's though, the voice that had spoken in her head, saying, _Jenny, come back. You don't have to relive this. _

"You were the one who woke me up," Jenny whispered. "I wouldn't have come back except for you."

"I couldn't stand to see you hurting like that."

Can somebody with his eyes be evil?

He was obviously a different sort of creature than she was, and every move he made showed the grace of a predator. It reminded her of how the wolves had moved – they had rippled. He did, too, his muscles moving so lightly under his skin, he was unnatural but so beautiful.

Something had struck her.

"The wolves. I had picked up a silver picture frame to bash them with. Silver." She looked at him, "Werewolves are real." She said it as if it were more of a statement than a real question. It explained why the voice hadn't told her to use her knife, it was dipped in a silvery blend, and it therefore wasn't pure.

"So much is real that you don't know about. Or you haven't remembered yet, I know you know some things. You started to remember some things with that Gothic girl, Abby. You said I was a Lord of the Night World."

The Night World. Just the mention of it sent prickles through Jenny. She could almost remember, but still not quite.

And she knew it was crazy to be kneeling here having this conversation. She was talking to a vampire! A guy who drank blood for a living, a guy whom Jenny would usually kill without batting an eyelid, a guy whose gesture showed that he was a hunter, and not only was he a vampire, but he also just so happened to be the very same person that her own subconscious had been warning her about for weeks, telling her to be afraid, very afraid.

So why wasn't she running? For one thing, she didn't think that her legs were going to be supporting her much longer and the other was that she knew for a fact that if she did run, she'd handed him more than one advantage. Vampires had impossible speed and he would be able to prance on her effortlessly and then bite into her neck. And there was of course one other small thing; she couldn't seem to take her eyes off him.

"One of the werewolves was mine," he was saying quietly. "She was here to find you – and protect you. But the other one... Jenny, you have to understand that I'm not the only person looking for you."

To protect me. So I was right, thought Jenny. The grey female was on my side. She said, "Who else is looking?"

"Another Night Person." He said gently.

"Well that's not anything new." Said Jenny with a hint of boredom, he looked away.

"Another vampire." He tried.

"Are all of your answers always this Goddamn cryptic?" she bit back. He didn't answer, he just sighed.

"Is an Old Soul a Night Person?" Jenny inquired, at this stage, she needed all of the information she could get, no matter whom the deliver was.

"No, an Old Soul is a human." He said it the way he said everything, as if reminding her of terrible facts he wished that he didn't have to bring up. "They just keep coming back after they've died."

"How many times have I come back?"

"I... I'd have to think about it. Quite a few."

"And have you been with me in all of them?"

"And of them I could manage."

"What do the rest of the notes mean?" Jenny had been gathering speed, and now she was shooting questions at him like a machine gun sort of fashion. She thought she was in control, and she hardly noticed the hysterical edge to her own voice. "Why am I telling myself I'll be dead before I'm seventeen?"

"Jenny..." He reached out a hand to calm her.

Jenny's own hand moved by reflex, coming up to ward his off, and then their fingers touched, bare skin to bare skin.

And the world seemed to have disappeared.

* * *

**I plead guilty of not updating or posting anything and I also plead guilty of cutting this chapter shorter than I had originally planned. But in my defence, it's better than nothing right? Please review and let me know what you all thought! Love you guys! Xx**


	6. Pyromania

**A/N: Trying to update this more regularly, I am going to finish this fic before my others. Just so you all know. I hope you like it! Let me know...**

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_

_Previously:_

_So of course she did the most instinctive thing that occurred to her, she stabbed him in the abdomen. Pushing the knife in deep, twisting it and pulling it out sharply, it was a shame that this knife was metal and not wood. "Fuck! What the hell was that for!?"_

_"Lay one finger on me and I swear it'll be cut off." Jenny said sternly._

_"Are you all right?" The stranger moved toward her and Jenny recoiled instantly._

_"Don't touch me!" she gasped, and at the same moment her legs gave out. She slid to the floor of the porch and stared at the boy whose face was now approximately level with hers._

_She asked quietly, "Are you going to kill me now?"_

_"God – no!" He stood up fast, uncoiling. Shock was naked on his face. "You don't understand. I would never hurt you. I..." He broke off. "It's hard to know where to begin."_

"_Why am I telling myself I'll be dead before I'm seventeen?"_

_"Jenny..." He reached out a hand to calm her._

_Jenny's own hand moved by reflex, coming up to ward his off, and then their fingers touched, bare skin to bare skin._

_And the world seemed to have disappeared._

* * *

It was like being struck with lightening. Jenny felt the current through her body, but it was her mind that was most affected.

I know you! It was as if she had been standing in a dark landscape, lost and blind, when suddenly a brilliant flash illuminated everything, allowing her to see farther than she'd ever seen before. She was trembling violently, pitching forward even as he fell toward her. Electricity was running through every nerve in her body and she was shaking and shaking, overcome by waves of the purest emotion she'd ever felt.

Fury.

"You were supposed to be there!" She got out in a chocked gasp. "Where were you?"

You were supposed to be with me – for so long! You're _part _of me, the part I've always vaguely missed. You were supposed to be around, helping out, picking me up when I fell down. Watching my back, listening to my stories. Understanding things that I wouldn't want to tell other people. Loving me when I'm stupid and an erratic mess. Giving me something to take care of and be good to, the way the Goddess meant women to do.

_Jenny – _

It was the closest thing to a mental gasp Jenny could imagine, and with it she realised that somehow they were connected now. He could hear her thoughts, just as she could hear his.

Good! She thought, not wasting time to dwell over this whilst her mind was raging on.

You were my Yang! The other half of me! You were the other half of my mysteries! We were supposed to be sacred to each other – _and you haven't been there!_

This last thought she sent squarely toward him. And she felt it hit him, and felt his reaction.

"I've tried!"

He was horrified... guilt-stricken. But then, Jenny could sense that this was pretty much the usual state for him, so it didn't affect him quite as much as it might have for someone else. And beneath the horror was astonishment and burgeoning joy that sent a different kind of tingle through her.

"You do know me, don't you?" he said quietly He pushed her back to look at her, as if he still couldn't believe it. "You remember... Jenny, how much do you remember?"

Jenny was staring at him, studying him, taking in every inch of him... Yes, I know that bone structure. And the eyes, especially the eyes, she'd never forget them. It was like an adopted child discovering a brother or sister and seeing so many familiar features on such an unfamiliar face, tracing each one with wonder and recognition, despite the state of her emotions.

"I remember... that we were meant for each other. That we're" – she came up with the word slowly – "Soulmates."

"Yes," he whispered. Awe was softening his features, changing his eyes. The desperate sadness that seemed so much a part of them was lightening. "Soulmates. We were destined for each other. We should have been together down the ages."

They were supporting each other now, Jenny kneeling on the porch and Jethro holding her with on knee on the step. Their faces were inches apart. Jenny found herself watching his mouth, she couldn't help it.

"So what happened?" she whispered.

In the same tone, without moving back, he whispered. "I screwed up."

* * *

Her initial fury had faded. She could feel him, feel his emotions, somehow she could sense his thoughts. He was just as anguished at their separation as she was, if not more. He wanted her, he loved her, adored her.

She could feel his warm breath; if she leaned forward just an inch her top lip would touch his bottom lip.

Jenny leaned forward.

"Wait –" he said.

That was a mistake, saying it out loud. It moved his lips against hers, turning it from a touch into a kiss. And then for a while, neither of them could resist. They seemed to need each other so desperately, and the kiss was so warm and sweet.

Jenny flooded with comfort, joy but most of all, love.

This was meant to be.

Jenny felt dizzy but still capable of thought. I knew life had something wonderful and mysterious to give me. Something I could sense but not see; something that was always out of reach. And here it is. I'm one of the lucky ones – I've found it.

Jethro wasn't as articulate, All she could hear him think was, _Yes. _

Jenny had never been filled with so much gratitude. Love spilled from her and into Jethro and then back again. The more she gave, the more she got back. It was a cycle, taking them higher and higher.

Like flying, Jenny thought. She wasn't dizzy anymore; she was strangely clear and calm, as if she was standing on a mountain top. Infinite tenderness... infinite belonging. It was so good that it hurt. And it made her want to give more.

She knew what she wanted. It was what she'd tried to give him the first time, when she knew he would die without her. She'd wanted to give him what all women could give.

Life.

She was only a girl now, not ready for the responsibilities that would come with making new life from her body. But she could give Jethro life another way.

* * *

She pulled back to look at him, to see bruised dark eyes filled with aching tenderness. Then she touched his mouth with her fingertips. He kissed them. Jenny ignored the caress and poked a finger in.

Shock flared in Jethro's eyes.

There. That was it. The long canine tooth, just barely sharp. Not yet the tooth of a predator, of a fox or a lynx or wolf. She ran her finger against it.

The shock turned into something else. A glazed look. Need mixed with pure terror.

Jethro whispered, "Don't, Jenny, please. You don't know – "

Jenny tested the tip of the tooth with her thumb. Yes it was sharper now. Longer, more delicate. It would look like the tooth of an arctic fox in her palm – milky-white, translucent, elegantly curved.

Jethro's chest was heaving. "Please stop. I – I can't – "

Jenny was enthralled. I don't know why people are afraid of vampires, she thought. A human could be a tease or torture a vampire this way, driving him insane if she were cruel. Or he could choose to be kind.

Very gently, Jenny reached out with her other hand. She touched the back of Jethro's neck, bringing just the slightest pressure to bear. But he was so obedient to her touch – it was easy to guide his mouth to her throat.

_Jenny..._

She could feel him trembling.

_Don't be afraid,_ she told him silently. And she pulled him closer.

He grabbed her shoulders to push her away- and then just hung on. Clinging so helplessly. Kissing her neck over and over. She felt his control break... and then felt the sharpness of teeth. It wasn't like pain, it was like the tenderness, a hurting that was good. And then... devastating bliss.

It wasn't a physical feeling, it was purely emotional. They were completely together, and light poured through them.

How many lives together have we missed? How many times have I had to say, "Maybe in the next life" How did we ever manage to come apart?

It was as if her question went searching through both of their minds, soaring and diving, looking for an answer on its own. And Jethro didn't put up any resistance. She knew that he couldn't; he was as caught up as she was in what was happening between them, as overwhelmed.

There was nothing to stop her from finding out the answer.

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**Sorry but I could not help myself... Next chapter shall be posted up soon... Short but sweet in some sections... Please Review!**


	7. I Love The Way You Lie

**Well... It's been a while since I've worked on this... **

**I thought it was about time to update. **

**Let me know what you think :)**

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_Previously;_

_How many lives together have we missed? How many times have I had to say, "Maybe in the next life" How did we ever manage to come apart?_

_It was as if her question went searching through both of their minds, soaring and diving, looking for an answer on its own. And Jethro didn't put up any resistance. She knew that he couldn't; he was as caught up as she was in what was happening between them, as overwhelmed._

_There was nothing to stop her from finding out the answer._

_

* * *

_

This particular revelation didn't come all in one blinding illumination.

Instead, it was more like small flashes, glimpses of the past.

Each of them were so brief that they were almost too brief to understand, almost.

Flash.

Jethro's face above her, not the gentle face she had seen on the porch but a savage one, one with an animal light in the eyes.

A snarling mouth with... teeth that were stained red from blood.

_No..._

Flash.

Pain.

Teeth that tore her throat, the feel of her blood spilling over her warm neck.

Darkness was coming.

_No... Oh, God, no..._

Flash.

A different face this time, altogether.

A woman with black hair and eyes full of concern.

"Don't you know? He's evil. How many times does he have to kill you before you are going to realise that, Jenny?"

_No, no, no, no..._

Bust saying the word no didn't change anything.

It was the truth, she was seeing her own memories - seeing things that had really happened.

She knew that.

He'd killed her.

_Jenny, no –_

It was a cry of anguish.

Jenny wrenched herself away.

She could see the shock in Jethro's eyes, she could feel him shaking.

"You really did it." She whispered

"Jenny – "

"That's why you woke me up from the hypnosis! You didn't want me to remember! You knew I'd find out the truth! You son a bitch!"

Jenny was beside herself in grief and anger.

If she hadn't trusted him, if everything hadn't been so perfect, she wouldn't have felt so betrayed.

As it was, it was the greatest betrayal of her life – all of her lives.

It had all been a lie – everything she's just been feeling.

The togetherness, the love, the joy... all false.

"Jenny, that wasn't the reason..."

"You are an evil sadistic killer." She told me, Jenny thought.

The woman with black hair; she told me the truth.

Why didn't I remember her?

Why didn't I listen to her this time?

She could remember other things now, other things the woman had said.

"He's unbelievably cunning... he'll try to trick you. He'll try to use mind control..."

Mind control, influencing her.

He'd already admitted to that.

And what she'd been feeling tonight was some sort of trick.

He'd managed to play on her emotions somehow.

God, he'd even gotten her to offer him her blood.

She'd let him bite her, drink from her like some parasite.

"I hate you." She whispered as fury, anger, hurt and pain shone through her eyes.

She saw how that hurt him; he flinched and looked away, stricken.

Jenny couldn't help but feel better at that.

She wanted him to feel her pain and her anger as well as her hurt.

He deserved it and so much more.

Then he gripped her shoulders again, his voice soft.

"Jenny, I wanted to explain everything to you. Please, you don't understand everything..."

Jenny shoved his hands off of her shoulders as if they'd burnt her.

"Yes I do! I do! I remember everything! And I understand what you really are."

Her voice was as quiet as his, but much more intense .

She shifted backwards to get away from him.

She didn't want to feel his hands on her.

He looked jolted.

Unbelieving.

"You remember... everything?"

"Everything."

Jenny was proud and cold now.

You know what they say, being strong is being heartless.

That was exactly what she had planned to do.

"So you can just go now, because whatever you've got planned won't work. Whatever – tricks – you were going to use..." She shook her head. "Just go."

For just a second, a strange expression crossed his face.

An expression so tragic and lonely that Jenny's throat closed.

But she couldn't let herself soften. She couldn't give him a chance so that he could trick her once again. He was not going to win this time.

"Just stay away from me." She said, strong and determined.

With all of the confusion and turmoil built up inside of her, that was the only thing that was crystal clear in her mind.

"I never want to see you again."

He had seemed to of gotten control over himself.

He looked shell shocked but his eyes were steady.

"I've never wanted to hurt you," he said quietly. "And all I want to do now is protect you. But if that is what you want, I'll go away."

How dare he claim that he'd never wanted to hurt her?

Didn't killing her count?

"That is what I want, and I don't need your protection."

"You have it anyway." He said

And then he moved, faster than she could ever hope to move, almost faster than thought.

In an instant, he was close to her.

His fingers touched her left cheek, as light as moth's wings.

And then he was taking her hand, slipping something on her finger.

"Wear this," he said, no louder than a breath. "It has spells to protect you. And even without the spells, there aren't many Night people who'll harm you if they see it."

Jenny opened her mouth to say that she wasn't afraid of any Night People except him, but he was still speaking.

"Try not to go out alone, especially at night."

And then he was gone.

Just like that.

He was off of her porch and out somewhere in the darkness, not even a shadow, just gone.

If she hadn't had a fleeting impression of movement towards the prairie, she would have thought he had the ability to become invisible at a moment's notice.

And her heart was pounding, hurting, filling her throat so that she couldn't breathe.

Why had he touched her cheek?

Most people didn't touch the birthmark; they treated it like a bruise that might still hurt. But his fingers hadn't avoided it. The caress had been gentle, almost sad, but not frightened.

And why was she still standing here, staring into the darkness as if she expected him to reappear?

Go inside, idiot.

Jenny turned and fumbled with the back door, pulling at the knob as if she'd never opened it before. She shut it and locked it behind her.

She didn't want any more uninvited guests.

She'd had enough for one night.

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**That's it for this chapter; Hopefully I will update again tomorrow!**

**Xx**


	8. Overload of Poison

**Much awaited, I know. Enjoy lovely readers. :)**

* * *

She was beyond screaming or crying, in a state f shock that was almost dream-like. The apartment was way too bright. The clock on the kitchen wall was too loud. She had a distracted feeling that it wasn't either night or daytime.

It was like coming out of a theater and being surprised to that it's still light outside. She felt that this couldn't be the same place that she'd left an hour ago.

She wasn't the same person that had left.

Everything around her seemed like some carefully staged movie set that was supposed to be real, but wasn't, and only she could tell the difference.

I feel like a stranger here, she thought, and putting one hand to her neck where she could just detect two little puncture marks. Oh, God, how am I ever going to know what's real again?

But I should be happy; I should be grateful. I probably just saved my own life out there. I was alone with a vicious, evil, murderous monster, and...

Somehow that thought died away. She couldn't be happy and she didn't want to think about how evil Jethro was.

She felt hollow and aching.

It wasn't until she stumbled into her own bedroom that she remembered to look down at her right hand.

On the fourth finger was a ring.

It was made of gold and either white gold or silver, she could never tell the difference. It was shaped like a rose, with the stem twining around the finger and back on itself in an intricate knot. The blossom was inset with tiny stones, sapphire blue stones with black transparent stones. Black diamonds, Jenny wondered.

It was beautiful, stunning.

The craftsmanship was exquisite. Every delicate leaf and tiny thorn was perfect. But a flower? What was she? Five.

_It's a symbol of the Night World, _her mind reminded her. _A symbol of people who've been made into vampires. _

It was the cool wind voice back again, for more.

At least she understood what it was saying this time, the last time, when it had given her advice about silver and wolves, she had been completely confused.

Jethro had wanted her to wear the ring; he claimed it would protect her. But knowing him, it was just probably another trick of his. If it had any spells on it, they were probably spells to help him control her mind.

_Bastard! _

She couldn't believe that she'd let him manipulate her again.

It took nearly an hour to get the ring off, and that wasn't without trying. Jenny had used various products, ranging from soap, butter and Vaseline, pulling and twisting until her finger was red, aching and swollen.

She used a dental pick from an old fossil-collecting kit of hers, to try and pry the coils of the stem apart.

Nothing worked.

Until, at the last pick accidentally slipped and blood welled up from a small shallow cut. When the blood touched the ring it seemed to loosen somehow, and that was the moment that Jenny had quickly wrenched it off.

Then she stood panting slightly, the struggle with the little metal band was over, nevertheless, it left her absolutely exhausted and unable to focus on anything else.

She threw the ring in her bedroom wastebasket and stumbled towards her bed.

I'm tired... I'm so tired. I'll think about everything tomorrow, try to sort my life out. But for now... please, just let me sleep.

She could feel her body vibrating with adrenaline after she had laid down on the bed comfortably, and she was afraid that sleep wouldn't come. But tense as she was, her mind was too foggy to stay awake. She turned over once and finally let go of consciousness, she let everything go.

Jennifer Shepard fell asleep.

* * *

Jana of the Three Rivers opened her eyes.

Cold and desolate, Jana stood by the rushing river and felt the wind blow through her. So alone.

That was when Arno burst out of the bushes on the riverbank. There were several hunters with him and they all had spears. They charged at the stranger at full speed. Jana screamed a warning, but she knew that he didn't have a chance.

She could hear a few minutes of chaos far away in the dark. And then she saw the stranger being driven back, by Arno's hunters.

"Arno – don't hurt him! Please!" Jana was speaking desperately. Trying to block the men's way back. "Don't you see? He could have hurt me and he didn't. He isn't a demon! He can't help being the way that he is!"

Arno shouldered her aside. "Don't think you're going to get away without being punished, either."

Jana followed them up to the cave, her stomach churning with fear.

By the time everyone who'd been awakened by Arno's hunters understood what was happening, the sky outside had turned grey, it was almost dawn.

"You said we should wait and see if the Earth Goddess would tell you something about the demon while you slept," Arno said to Old Mother, "Did she?"

Old Mother glanced at Jana sorrowfully, then back at Arno and she shook her head. Then she started to speak, but Arno was already talking loudly.

"Then let's kill him and get it over with. Take him outside!"

"No!" Jana screamed, it didn't do any good. She was caught and held back in strong hands. The stranger gave her one look as he was driven outside in a circle of spears.

That was when the real horror began.

Because of something that Jana and the shamans had never imagined... The particular stranger was a creature that couldn't die.

Arno was first to jab his spear into the stranger, the whitish-grey flint spearhead went into his side, drawing blood. Jana saw it with her own eyes and as soon as she did, she ran out of the cave, still trying to find a way to stop this.

She also saw the blood stop flowing as the wound in the boy's side, mysteriously closed and healed itself. There were gasps all around her. Arno, was looking like he couldn't believe his own eyes, and for a second, Jana thought the same.

He jabbed again and watched with his mouth falling slightly open that the second wound bled and then healed.

Only the wounds that remained open were those that when the spear was driven into the wooden shaft. One of the women whispered gently, "He is a demon." Everyone was frightened but nobody moved away from this strange boy, after all there were lots of them and only one of him, regardless of how dangerous he may be.

Jana saw something happening in the faces of her clan.

Something new and horrible.

Fear of the unknown was changing them, making them cruel. They were turning from basically good people, people who would never torture an animal by prolonging it's death, into people who would torture a man.

"He may be a demon, but he still bleeds." One of the hunters said breathlessly, after jabbing his spear into the victim in front of him, "He still can feel pain."

"Get a torch!" said someone else, "See if he burns!"

And then it was terrible.

Jana felt as if she were in the middle of a storm, able to see things but buffeted this way and that, unable to _do_ anything about it. People were running. People were getting torches, stone axes, different kinds of flint knives.

The clan had turned into a huge entity feeding off its own violence. Not only was it mindless, it was unstoppable.

Jana cast a desperate look toward the cave, where Old Mother lay confined to her pallet. There was certainly not going to be any help from that direction.

People were screaming, burning the stranger, throwing stones at him. The stranger was falling, bloody, smoke rising from his burns. He was lying down on the ground, unable to fight back. But still, he didn't die. He kept trying to crawl away.

Jana was screaming herself, screaming and crying, beating at the shoulders of a hunter who pulled her back.

And it went on and on.

And he still wouldn't die.

Jana was in a nightmare. Her throat was raw from screaming so much, her vision was going grey, she couldn't stand to watch this anymore; she couldn't stand the smell of blood and burning flesh or the sound of blows.

But there was nowhere to go, no way to get out.

This was her life.

She had to stay here and go insane...

* * *

Jenny sat up in bed, gasping.

For several moments, she didn't know where she was. Though a gap in her curtains, she could see the grey light of dawn – just like Jana's grey dawn – and she thought that she still might be in that horrific nightmare.

But then, slowly, the objects in her bedroom had become clear.

* * *

**And for this chapter... That's all folks! **

**I'm back in the game. Xx  
**


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